Qadhafi Urges North Korea to End Nuclear Drive

Libyan leader Col. Muammar Qadhafi met with South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon yesterday and encouraged North Korea to follow Tripoli’s example of renouncing weapons of mass destruction, the Yonhap news agency reported (see GSN, Jan. 25).

“The North Korean nuclear problem is a serious and dangerous issue and ... North Korea and Iran should take the same measures Libya took,” Ban quoted Qadhafi as saying during the meeting in Tripoli.

Ban said Qadhafi told him that, once North Korea gives up its pursuit of atomic weapons, the international community should help Pyongyang develop a peaceful nuclear program.

“I explained that if the North gives up nuclear weapons, we’re going to provide it with economic and energy assistance and a multilateral security guarantee,” Ban said.

Ban said he also delivered an invitation from President Roh Moo-hyun for Qadhafi to visit Seoul, and the Libyan leader said he would do so at an “appropriate time,” according to Yonhap (Yonhap, Jan. 26).

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