NEWS

House Foreign Affairs Committee

U.S. House of Representatives

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Ranking Republican

CONTACT: Sam Stratman, (202) 226-7875, March 5, 2007

                     Lee Cohen, (202 226-1139

For IMMEDIATE Release

Ros-Lehtinen Comments on UNDP Cutoff of North Korea Aid

(WASHINGTON) – U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today praised the weekend decision by the executive board of the UN Development Program (UNDP) to suspend its programs in North Korea. In a February 15^th meeting with UNDP Administrator Kemal Dervis, Ros-Lehtinen urged a halt to UNDP aid to the regime because of growing concern that the aid was being diverted. The statement of Ros-Lehtinen:

For too long, the North Korean regime has been gaming the international system by demanding exemption from standard operating procedures and monitoring requirements.  But we cannot afford the possibility that international assistance may be diverted to illicit or dangerous purposes, particularly in light of North Korea’s nuclear test last October.

By holding firm to the basic conditions set forth by the Executive Board in January, UNDP is reestablishing its credibility. This action is an important example of how the international community should deal with North Korea's belligerent demands for exceptional treatment.

Kim Jong Il is more interested in maintaining power than promoting the welfare of the North Korean people.  We must refuse to feed his appetite for international assistance on his own terms.

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