International Efforts to End the North Korean Crisis - 2003-01-14

International efforts to end the North Korean crisis - 2003-01-14. The Russian Defense Minister says that Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, will send a special envoy to China, North Korea, and the United States to intensify efforts to alleviate international concerns regarding North Korea's growing nuclear threat. Sergey Ivanov did not provide details about the mission of Alexander Losyukov, Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia, or the date of his trip. Mr. Ivanov stated to reporters at the end of his discussions with Japanese defense officials in Moscow that he is encouraged by recent statements suggesting the possibility of a peaceful resolution to the crisis through diplomacy. Meanwhile, former U.S. President and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jimmy Carter says that the disputes between the two sides should be resolved in a special forum hosted by either Moscow or Beijing. In an article in today's Washington Post, Mr. Carter attributed the extremism of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il to the rhetoric of the Bush administration but emphasized that North Korea's withdrawal from the historic nuclear non-proliferation treaty poses a major threat to global peace. On the other hand, Maurice Strong, the special envoy of Kofi Annan, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, arrived in Pyongyang today. He is expected to meet with the leaders of the country to discuss ways to prevent a humanitarian crisis in this famine-stricken nation.