10-06-06

賴斯促伊拉克庫爾德領袖和解 (Rice Presses Iraqi Kurdish Leader on Reconciliation)

美國國務卿賴斯敦促伊拉克庫爾德族領導人與遜尼派和什葉派領導人共同建設一個統一民主的國家。星期五，賴斯在埃爾比勒城會見了伊拉克北部庫爾德自治地區總統巴爾扎尼，為庫爾德人長期與美國合作而對他表示感謝，並敦促他與巴格達政府解決共用伊拉克石油資源的問題。巴爾扎尼表達了對建立一個“民主的伊拉克和聯邦制”的承諾。他說他主張在全體伊拉克人民中公平分配國家收入。 

賴斯訪問之際，控制石油資源的問題導致伊拉克局勢日益緊張。相當一部份石油資源位於庫爾德地區。

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has pressed Iraq's Kurdish leaders to work with Sunni Arab and Shi'ite leaders for a unified and democratic country. Rice met Friday in Irbil with Massoud Barzani, the president of Iraq's northern Kurdish autonomus region. She thanked him for the Kurds' long cooperation with the United States. She also urged Barzani to work with the government in Baghdad to resolve the issue of sharing Iraq's oil wealth. Barzani said he was committed to a "democratic Iraq and the federal system." He said he favors fair distribution of revenues for all the Iraqi people.

Rice's visit comes amid increasing tensions in Iraq over the control of the country's oil resources. A substantial portion is in the Kurdish region.

韓官員如任聯合國秘書長願訪北韓 (South Korean Official Willing to Visit North Korea as UN Chief)

南韓外交通商部長官潘基文說，如果他成為聯合國下屆秘書長，會考慮出訪北韓，幫助解決北韓核項目陷入的僵局。

潘基文預計下星期被確定為下一屆聯合國秘書長。倫敦金融時報星期五發表的一篇採訪引述潘基文的話說，現任聯合國秘書長安南做出了很多貢獻，但是在十年任期內一直沒有訪問北韓。潘基文說，他認為自己更適合處理北韓核爭端，因為他對北韓半島南北雙方的關係更為了解。 

潘基文發表上述評論的三天前，平壤宣佈計劃在未來沒有具體說明的時候試驗核武器。聯合國安理會預計星期五通過一份聲明，敦促北韓取消核武器試驗的計劃。

South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Ban Ki-Moon says, if he becomes the next U.N. secretary-general, he will consider visiting North Korea to help resolve the standoff over its nuclear program. 

Ban is expected to be confirmed as the next U.N. chief next week. In an interview published by the "Financial Times" Friday, Ban said current Secretary- General Kofi Annan has made many contributions, but has not been able to visit North Korea during the past 10 years. Ban said he believes he is in a better position to handle the nuclear dispute, because he has a deeper understanding of the inter-Korean relationship.

Ban published comments come three days after Pyongyang announced it plans to test a nuclear weapon at an unspecified time in the future. The U.N. Security Council is expected to approve a statement today urging North Korea to cancel any planned nuclear weapons test.