The embassy of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in Moscow said Thursday that Pyongyang has to maintain its nuclear deterrents facing Washington's certain activities, confirming that it would not freeze the nuclear activities unconditionally.  

"Making the Korean Peninsula nuclear-free has been our goal for quite a long time. But now we are forced to possess our own nuclear deterrents," the Interfax news agency quoted a report from the embassy as reporting.

The diplomatic statement elaborated that "a few days ago the United States legitimized and appropriated large amounts of money for the development of miniature nuclear weapons in order to keep us under constant threat."

The embassy reiterated the demand that in exchange for the freezing of its nuclear activities, Washington must remove DPRK from the list of nations promoting terrorism, lift the political, economic and military blockades and resume energy aid from the United States and neighboring countries.

"We can by no means freeze our nuclear activities unconditionally," it says, stressing that the resumption of six-party talks is contingent on whether the proposals are realized.

The report also insisted that the United States remove all military threats to the country in a verifiable and irreversible process.

The first round of the six-party talks, a mechanism set to solve the nuclear standoff on the Korean peninsula, was held in Beijing at the end of August with delegates from China, the DPRK, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United States.

Although no important breakthrough was made, diplomatic efforts have been under way for a new round of talks but no date has been set yet.

US White House spokesman Scott McClellan said earlier that Washington looks forward to returning to six-party talks without precondition, while emphasizing the importance of DPRK's commitment to the complete and verifiable elimination of their nuclear program.

However, Pyongyang insists on a premise for the resumption of the talks that it must be delisted as a "terrorism sponsor" and various sanctions and blockade must be removed. Energy aid by the United States and neighboring countries should also be taken in exchange for DPRK's freeze of nuclear activities.

(Xinhua News Agency December 12, 2003)