IRISH RESPONSE TO NORTH KOREAN NUCLEAR TEST

UNCLAS DUBLIN 001156 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KNNP PREL PARM EI SUBJECT: IRISH RESPONSE TO NORTH KOREAN NUCLEAR TEST ANNOUNCEMENT REF: SECSTATE 169418 ¶1. Charge met with Michael Collins, International Affairs Advisor to the Taoiseach (Prime Minister),on October 10 to present demarche on North Korea's announced nuclear weapons test (reftel). ¶2. Collins expressed Ireland's concern, noting that the Government of Ireland has a long history of support for non-proliferation. He pointed to Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern's October 9 statement, in which Ahern strongly condemned North Korea's action. Ahern chacterized the test as a provocative threat to regional security, which directly contravened the international community's objectives of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. He called on North Korea to refrain from further dangerous acts and to return immediately and without preconditions to the Six Party Talks. ¶3. Collins also highlighted Ireland's firm support for the European Union's condemnation of the test. BENTON