Global leaders and the international community yesterday hailed the outcome of the six-party talks on the Korean Peninsular nuclear issue.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan yesterday hailed the promise made by North Korea to abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs.

"The secretary-general strongly welcomes the consensus reached at the six-party talks in Beijing on the principles for a peaceful and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," a UN spokesperson said in a statement.

"This is a major step toward a comprehensive settlement through multilateral diplomacy of one of the most difficult international security issues," the statement said.

It said Annan welcomed "in particular" North Korea's commitment made at the Beijing talks Monday to abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs, as well as its return at an early date to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards.

"He is hopeful that this agreement, when fully implemented, will lead to a peninsula free of nuclear weapons, normalized relations and enhanced security between the countries concerned, and flourishing economic cooperation in Northeast Asia," the statement said, adding that Annan also praised China for its "critical" role in ensuring the success of the talks. 

IAEA Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei yesterday extended a warm welcome to the outcome, saying he hoped the IAEA would return to North Korea for inspection as soon as possible.

ElBaradei lauded North Korea's commitment to abandoning all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs. "There is a balanced package," he said.

In the US, President George W. Bush said it is a "positive step" for North Korea to pledge to give up its nuclear weapons program. He, meanwhile, demanded firm verification measures to make sure North Korea to live up to its commitment.

"It was a positive step yesterday. It was a step forward in making this world a more secure place. And I want to thank our other partners in the six-party dialogue by working together," Bush said in the White House.

"And what we have said is, great, that's a wonderful step forward, but now we've got to verify whether or not that happens," he added.

State Department spokesperson Sean McCormack said yesterday, "Our view is that this is a good statement. North Korea has made the decision to get rid of its weapons and all existing nuclear programs…. They've made the commitment to get out of the nuclear business."

"This is a significant step forward for regional and global stability," EU security chief Javier Solana said in a statement. "I offer my congratulations to China as host and facilitator, as well as to all the other participants, for their success in securing this agreement."

"I welcome the commitment by North Korea to abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs and to return at an early date to the NPT and to IAEA safeguards," Solana said.

South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun welcomed the joint statement adopted at the talks as "epoch-making," and one that establishes "principles" for the ending of the issue.

Roh also expressed appreciation especially for the efforts by host China that helped bring about the breakthrough in the long-term efforts to resolve the nuclear issue, according to a news release issued yesterday by the South Korean Presidential Office.

Quoting Roh, the release said: "The adoption of the joint statement in the fourth round of six-party talks heralds a crucial chance to resolve" the Korean Peninsular nuclear issue.

It also expressed the hope that the joint statement can provide momentum in stabilizing the Korean Peninsula.

Russia welcomed North Korea's promise to abandon nuclear weapons and expressed hope in the successful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

"The results of the fourth round of talks in Beijing give us hope for the future successful continuation of the six-party process leading to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

In Tokyo, Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura welcomed the joint statement.

North Korea's commitment to abandoning all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs in a verifiable manner for the first time will "provide an important basis" for the six-party talks to realize the goal of the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, said Machimura.

A spokesperson for Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said North Korea's decision was a good step toward ensuring there were no nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula.

North Korea "is going to be more secure, not less secure, by following this path," the spokesperson told Australian Associated Press.

(China Daily, Xinhua News Agency September 20, 2005)