Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 132: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the situation whereby North Korea has sharply raised the tensions due to its nuclear stand off with its regional neighbours by announcing that it had finished extracting nuclear fuel rods at its Yongbyon plant and has taken steps to expand its nuclear arsenal. [17515/05]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The Democratic People's Republic of Korea, DPRK, announced in February 2005 that it has produced and now possesses nuclear weapons and that it is to suspend its participation in the six party talks for an indefinite period. In May 2005, the DPRK further announced that it has finished extracting 8,000 fuel rods from its reactor at Yongbyon, which it had reportedly shut down a month ago.

Given the nature of the regime in the DPRK and its strict control of information, it is difficult to verify the accuracy of such announcements. Normally, the International Atomic Energy Agency can offer reliable information on a country's nuclear programme. However, the IAEA has not been permitted to inspect the DPRK's nuclear facilities since its inspectors were expelled from the DPRK in 2002. The agency is, therefore, not in a position to ascertain the validity of the recent statements from the DPRK.

The DPRK's regional neighbours, and parties involved in the six party talks, SPT, process, are continuing their efforts to encourage the DPRK to return to the stalled talks on the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. Most recently, the DPRK and the Republic of Korea concluded four days of negotiations on 20 May. US and DPRK officials are reported to have had working level contacts on the issue at the UN on 13 May.

The SPT process involves the DPRK, the Republic of Korea, China, Japan, the Russian Federation and the United States. Three rounds of talks have taken place since the process was initiated in 2003. While not directly involved in these talks, the EU has availed of every opportunity to confirm the Union's willingness to contribute to the international efforts to move matters forward. The Union has also indicated its readiness to consider enhanced co-operation with the DPRK if the present difficult situation can be resolved in a satisfactory manner.

The issue of the nuclear programme of the DPRK is kept under close and regular scrutiny by the European Union. The EU issued a statement on 11 February expressing concern at the position adopted by the DPRK. It urged the DPRK to revoke, as soon as possible, its decision to withdraw from the six party talks and to allow the resumption of negotiations in order to find a negotiated and peaceful solution to the crisis in the Korean peninsula. The EU also reaffirmed its strong support for the six party talks process and renewed its appeal to the DPRK to comply with the terms of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. The EU and Asian partners reiterated this concern at the Asia Europe Foreign Ministers Meeting which took place in Kyoto, Japan, on 6-7 May 2005.

At the 7th review conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which is currently underway in New York, the EU also called on the DPRK to respect fully its international obligations in the non-proliferation field, in accordance with its safeguards agreement with the IAEA. The EU further reaffirmed that it is firmly committed to contributing to a peaceful and negotiated solution to the DPRK's nuclear programme.