Secretary Clinton: Sanctions On A Nuclear North Korea Will Not Be Relaxed

Travis Martinez, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service

The sanctions towards a nuclear armed North Korea will not be relaxed as the United States makes an effort to reinvigorate a non-proliferation regime, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Tuesday.

“Current sanctions will not be relaxed until Pyongyang takes verifiable irreversible steps towards complete de-nuclearization. [North Korea’s Leaders] should be under no illusion that the United States will ever have normal, sanctions free relations with a nuclear armed Korea,” said Clinton during a speech in Washington, D.C.

Clinton emphasized that the message was not aimed solely at North Korea. According to the Secretary of State, the United States needs to set the example along with Russia to reduce both countries’ stockpile of nuclear weapons, the existence of which, Clinton contends, has sent the wrong message to other nations.

The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which guarantees countries the right for nuclear fuel, will not be effected in the reinvigorated non-proliferation regime.

“This should enable countries, especially developing countries, to enjoy the peaceful benefits of nuclear energy, while providing incentives for them not to build enrichment or reprocessing facilities,” said Clinton.