NZ welcomes Panmunjom Declaration

  • Rt Hon Winston Peters
Foreign Affairs

New Zealand welcomes the Panmunjom Declaration

Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has welcomed the Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification of the Korean Peninsula, signed by North and South Korea.

The Declaration follows an historic summit between President Moon Jae-in and Chairman Kim Jong Un where the two leaders announced that North and South Korea intend to sign a peace treaty later this year to formally end the Korean War.

“New Zealand welcomes the stated commitment of both leaders to peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula. It is our hope that the North can continue to build trust with the South, and the international community, through ongoing dialogue,” said Mr Peters.

Most significantly, the two leaders agreed to work towards the goal of complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.

“This is a positive first step towards complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearisation, which New Zealand firmly supports. However, this remains a complex issue, and we should not underestimate the challenges ahead in achieving this goal.”

“Notwithstanding the challenging road ahead, we should not lose sight of the significance of the announcement, which will further reduce tension on the Korean Peninsula, and in the Asia Pacific region more broadly.  New Zealand will do all we can to support this peace process,” he said.