India welcomes Summit meeting between N and S Korea

New Delhi, Aug 8 (UNI) India today welcomed the decision to hold a Summit-level meeting between the leaders of North and South Korea in Pyongyang from August 28-30 and hoped that it would contribute to peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula.

The External Affairs Ministry said in a statement that India supported all such efforts for peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula and hoped that the Summit meeting would further contribute in a positive way to this objective.

It said the government of India had been informed of the decision to hold a Summit-level meeting between the President of the Republic of Korea and the General Secretary of the Workers Party of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in Pyongyang later this month.

''Government of India welcomes the decision. We support all efforts for peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula, and we hope that the Summit Meeting in Pyongyang will further contribute in a positive way to this objective,'' the brief statement said. South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il will meet in Pyongyang from August 28 to 30 for their second round of talks in an attempt to bring lasting peace in the Korean Peninsula after nearly six decades.

Sources said the two leaders are expected to discuss a formal peace treaty between the two Koreas.

The first meeting between the leaders of the two countries was held in 2000.

UNI