South Africa has held talks with North Korea’s ambassador over his country’s withdrawal from the international treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, Deputy President Jacob Zuma said on Wednesday.
Replying to questions in the National Assembly, he said Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma had called on North Korea to reconsider its decision in the interests of world peace and security.
”We also advanced the view that… South Africa’s security and that of our neighbours was enhanced by the elimination of nuclear weapons, as opposed to the inherent instability created by the retention of the nuclear weapons option.
”We expressed the belief — based on our experiences of the past — that there is more to be gained in terms of national, regional and international security from working within the non-proliferation regime, than outside the system.
”We have also made use of multilateral organisations, such as the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Non-Aligned Movement, to express our concerns and to call on the parties directly concerned to resolve the matter through dialogue and negotiations,” Zuma said. – Sapa