Swiss ABB says no more N Korea business

Zurich, Oct 22: Swiss engineering firm ABB a former supplier of nuclear technology, terminated all its remaining business ties with North Korea last year, a spokesman said today.

''That's right, we've cancelled our dealings with North Korea in 2005. But even before 2005, it was marginal,'' company spokesman Wolfram Eberhardt said.

The group has never sold nuclear technology to the country, Eberhardt said.

North Korea had placed an order with ABB to help build two nuclear reactors in 2000. But the company sold its nuclear technology operations to state-owned British Nuclear Fuels Ltd shortly afterwards, and never did the work.

Donald Rumsfeld was a member of ABB's supervisory board until 2001, when he stepped down because of his appointment as US defense secretary.

Earlier today, a Swiss newspaper suggested Rumsfeld had helped pave the way for ABB to sell nuclear technology to North Korea, as part of a diplomatic deal allowing the country to use nuclear technology for civil purposes in return for its vows not to build an atomic bomb.

The ABB spokesman called that conjecture.

Reuters