Seoul (AsiaNews/Agencies) - The United States and China share "an interest" in settling the nuclear issue concerning North Korea and Iran, US President Barack Obama told his Chinese counterpart, Hu Jintao, in Seoul. For his part, Hu said that China would take a tougher stance on the matter. About 60 heads of state and government met in the South Korean capital to discuss nuclear disarmament.
Addressing Iran, the US leader said on Monday that there was still an opportunity to resolve the impasse over its nuclear programme through diplomacy, "but time is short,'' he warned. ''Iran must act with the seriousness and sense of urgency that this moment demands."
On North Korea, Washington has no "hostile intentions" toward the Communist nation but Obama insists that it must abandon its nuclear weapons.
"I want to appeal directly to the leaders in Pyongyang. The U.S. does not have hostile intentions towards your country. We want peace", Mr. Obama said in a speech at Seoul University. At the same time, "there will be no more rewards for provocations. Those days are over," he added.
Mr Hu said the North Korean issue was "very complicated and sensitive" but "We do not hope to see a reversal of the hard-won momentum of relaxation of tension on the peninsula".