Posted on 03/24/2008 4:52:53 AM PDT by Jet Jaguar
WINDHOEK (Reuters) - North Korea's number two leader ended a trip to Namibia, a leading uranium producer, on Sunday saying he would strengthen ties with the country.
North Korea, under pressure to declare its nuclear programmes, and Namibia said they signed a memorandum of understanding on diplomatic consultations.
Kim Yong-nam, president of the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, started an African tour on Thursday in Namibia, the world's fifth-largest uranium miner.
In a joint statement issued by Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba's office, the countries "expressed satisfaction" that their ties have grown.
North Korea watchers said the search for business was the focus of the impoverished country's diplomacy and would be an important part of the visit to Africa, which will also take Kim to Angola and Uganda.
Namibia recently announced it would develop plans to enrich locally mined uranium in conjunction with the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Officials from the southern African nation declined to say if cooperation on uranium enrichment was discussed with North Korea.
The top U.S. negotiator with North Korea said this week that Pyongyang was not yet ready to provide an accurate description of its nuclear programmes but he expected it to do so eventually.
A 2005 accord under which North Korea agreed to abandon its nuclear programmes in exchange for economic and diplomatic benefits has stalled because of Pyongyang's failure to produce a declaration of its nuclear programmes by the end of last year.
(Reporting by John Grobler, writing by Michael Georgy; editing by Tim Pearce)
ping.
And, no surprise.
It just gets scarier and scarier.
You can go head to head with them early in the game, and get it over with. Or you can play games for three or four years, let them get stronger, and then have to end up dealing with them anyway.
Only just now the Administration is figuring out they are getting no better deal than the Clintonites did with North Korea.
They should cut their losses, admit their mistakes, fire people who negotiated phony agreements and who are now in charge of a "compliance" (an obvious conflict of interest), and return post haste to the previous correct approach of tightening the screws and isolation, not sunshine and naivete.
This is all so ridiculous.
China depends on exports and North Korea depends on China.
All that needs to happen is for GWB to inform the Chicoms that unless they get their “dog” NK “back on the porch” not one container of their junk will be offloaded in San Pedro, CA or anywhere else in the Free World.
How do you say “embargo” in Chinese and “blockade” in Korean.
And if the Chicoms threaten to dump our dollars; if they want to cut off their commie noses to spite their commie faces; let em! We’re only their biggest customer.
They need us a hellofalot more than we need them!
It’ll take them about a week for the Commies to see the error in their ways and all you Mao-Mart customers will be happy again.
Obama just put Joe Wilson on retainer in case he needs to explain this away during his administration. Hillary already had him on speed dial.
Time for new glasses. I thought it read “N. Korea to deepen ties with NAMBLA.”
National Association of Marlon Brando Look-Alikes?
BOY this is such appeasement I bet US State dept is just saying go for it we want peace at any costs
AM I wrong or right on that assumption AIT LOL!
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