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Statement by the Press Secretary on North Korea
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For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary June 26, 2008

Statement by the Press Secretary on North Korea

ÿÿWhite House News


The United States welcomes the North Korean declaration of its nuclear
programs. Today's development is an important step in the multi-step
process laid out in the Six Party Talks between North Korea, China, Japan,
Russia, South Korea and the United States.

The Six Party Talks are based on a principle of "action for action." North
Korea has pledged to disable all its nuclear facilities and tomorrow will
destroy the cooling tower of the Yongbyon reactor. North Korea also pledged
to declare its nuclear activities. This information will be essential to
verifying that North Korea is ending all of its nuclear programs and
activities.

The United States will respond to North Korea's actions by lifting the
provisions of the Trading with the Enemy Act as well as announcing our
intent to rescind North Korea's designation as a State Sponsor of Terror in
45 days. During this period, the United States will carefully assess North
Korea's actions particularly with regard to verification.

There is still more work to be done in order for North Korea to end its
isolation. It must dismantle all of its nuclear facilities, give up its
separated plutonium, and resolve outstanding questions on its highly
enriched uranium and proliferation activities. It must end these activities
in a fully verifiable way.

Multilateral diplomacy is the best way to peacefully resolve the nuclear
issue. North Korea should seize this moment of opportunity to restore its
relationship with the international community.

The President will make a statement on this subject in the Rose Garden at
7:40 am EDT today.

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