Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-10-11-Speech-3-061"
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"en.20061011.13.3-061"2
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".
Mr President, at the conclusion of this debate, there is a point which I think we have to underline. Not a single Member of the European Parliament has spoken out against condemnation of North Korea’s behaviour. I think that is a very important conclusion to this important debate.
As far as diplomacy is concerned, everybody in this House will agree that diplomacy is what we like to do. We Europeans like to solve complex, difficult problems with what we value most: our minds, our intelligence, our diplomacy. And there is no doubt that this problem is indeed complex and difficult.
There may be some doubts about what to do next and how to deal with North Korea in the future, but the fact that the test has been a source of concern for the international community – and that the international community has taken responsibility for addressing the issue – has been supported by all the Members who have spoken in this debate. I think we should be happy about that, because on issues of this nature and of this degree of importance, the responsibilities of Members of the European Parliament are on a par with those of the members of the international community.
There are different conclusions we can draw as to why the test was carried out and what the consequences are for the future. Some of us have been to North Korea. I have been there and talked to the country’s leader on several occasions. In Kuala Lumpur in July, I had the opportunity to talk with the Foreign Minister and he told me then that there was to be no return to the six-party talks. So it was almost certain by then that something of this nature might happen.
We have to praise the Chinese, who have been leading the six-party talks and standing their ground. This time, however, they unfortunately failed to convince North Korea, and instead of a meeting, a nuclear test has taken place.
I agree completely with those who have said that the Non-Proliferation Treaty should be reviewed. Mrs Napoletano made that point most coherently and vehemently. I share her concern about the fact that the last revision of the Non-Proliferation Treaty was a failure. It was a failure on the part of everybody involved in the revision, including the nuclear powers, some of which are Member States of the European Union.
The Non-Proliferation Treaty dates back to 1968. We have gone through five revisions already and none of them has been able to address the difficulties and loopholes involved in that Treaty. That must be said. Let us also point out, however, that North Korea is not a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty. It abandoned the Non-Proliferation Treaty in 2003, and therefore is under no obligation to comply with it. It abandoned the Non-Proliferation Treaty because it did not want to admit inspectors, which is something that is mandatory under the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
As we are seeing today, and as we will see in the future, the Non-Proliferation Treaty needs to be revised and updated. As I said, the Treaty was drawn up in 1968. That is a long time ago in historical terms, and therefore we have to make an effort. The Europeans can plead that these regimes be adapted to the realities of today and not to the realities of yesterday. I quite agree with that.
As far as sanctions are concerned, I do not think that the Security Council can just make a statement. The Security Council has to act, otherwise other countries that are watching to see how the Security Council responds will draw the conclusion that the international community does not take an act of this nature seriously. Remember what happened when Pakistan did it? North Korea was watching for the international community’s response to Pakistan’s actions. And probably part of today’s situation is a reflection of what happened then.
That does not mean, of course, that any sanctions must target the people of North Korea, who have already suffered a great deal. They suffer politically, they suffer economically, they suffer in their daily lives. Therefore, other things have to be put in place and taken into account. I think the most important kinds of sanctions that should be put in place are sanctions which prevent proliferation by North Korea and prevent North Korea from passing nuclear technology on to other states which might be looking to acquire such technology so that they too can move in the same direction. This is probably the most important step that the United Nations Security Council can take."@en1
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