10 October 2006

Green Party joins condemnation of North Korea nuclear test

The Green Party has joined the global calls for North Korea to halt its nuclear weapons programme, Disarmament Spokesperson Keith Locke says.

"The world has united in its condemnation of North Korea's nuclear testing, but this political pressure must be combined with dialogue, we must particularly support the efforts of North Korea's neighbours, South Korea and China, who are key to persuading North Korea to drop its nuclear weapons programme.

"As a leading anti-nuclear nation, New Zealand can say to countries like China and the United States that they would be in a much stronger moral position to pressure North Korea if they had themselves made some moves towards getting rid of their own nuclear arsenals - as they promised many years ago when the Non-Proliferation Treaty was signed.

"Any proliferation of nuclear weapons is unacceptable, but in North Korea it is even more appalling for a leader to invest in becoming a nuclear armed state when his people live in such poverty," Mr Locke says.

ENDS

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