UN's Ban discusses Korean situation with S. Korean President

UN's Ban discusses Korean situation with S. Korean President

2011-01-03 08:44:48 GMT+7 (ICT)

UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) -- United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the President of the Republic of Korea (ROK) on Saturday discussed the recent situation on the Korean Peninsula in a telephone conversation, during which the UN chief reaffirmed his readiness to provide assistance to facilitate peace and stability in the region in close coordination with the concerned countries.

During the discussion, Ban said he appreciated President Lee Myung-bak's commitment to resolving the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) nuclear problem through the Six-Party Talks, referring to the talks involving China, DPRK, Japan, ROK, Russia and the United States aimed at resolving the crisis over the nuclear issue.

"The Secretary-General looked forward to the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit to be hosted by the ROK, an event which would significantly contribute to strengthening the global nuclear non-proliferation regime," said Ban's spokesperson.

Ban congratulated Lee and the people of the ROK for successfully hosting the Group of 20 (G20) Summit in Seoul in November and for the country's continued economic and social development last year.

The Secretary-General commended the ROK's active contribution to the work of the UN, including through an increase in overseas development assistance and greater participation in the world body's peace operations, as well as to global efforts to address climate change and promote green growth.

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