United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' position on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula remains unchanged, a spokesman said Tuesday.

Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for Guterres, reiterated the UN chief's stance that the denuclearization must be "complete, verifiable and irreversible."

No one would like to see the denuclearization be "reversed," Dujarric said while answering a question regarding the wording of the joint statement of U.S. President Donald Trump and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea leader Kim Jong Un at the Singapore summit, which says "Chairman Kim Jong Un reaffirmed his firm and unwavering commitment to complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."

Speaking of the role of the UN in assisting the denuclearization, the spokesman said that both the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, and other UN organizations, can help in the process.

In the meantime, he noted that the summit was "the beginning of a process."

The secretary-general noted in his letters to both leaders before the summit that "the road ahead requires cooperation, compromise and a common cause."

"Implementing today's and previous agreements reached, in accordance with relevant Security Council resolutions, will require patience and support from the global community," the letter read.

"We stand ready to assist the parties in implementing and moving the process forward," he said.

Also at the news briefing, Brenden Varma, spokesman for General Assembly President Miroslav Lajcak, told reporters that "the president considers today's summit to be a positive first step in the right direction."

Source:
Ihsan PELITA BRUNEI

by Pelita Brunei

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