Bush Presses Iran and North Korea on Nuclear Threat at APEC Summit

Speaking in Santiago ahead of the 21-nation Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, President George W. Bush issued firm warnings to both Iran and North Korea over their nuclear ambitions. He expressed concern about reports that Iran had stepped up uranium processing before a key international meeting, calling the situation a grave and shared global concern.

Bush also worked to build a united front among Asia-Pacific partners against North Korea's weapons program, meeting separately with the leaders of Japan, China, South Korea, and Russia, all participants in the six-party negotiating framework. A return to those talks may come in early 2025, according to a senior US official. North Korea had skipped the most recent round in September.

Anti-terrorism measures and a proposed Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific also featured on the agenda, though APEC members were divided on the trade initiative. Protests outside the summit turned violent the previous day.

Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this AFP wire report, first published in November 2004, in its own words.