calendar>>June 19. 2009 Juche 98
North-South Working Contact Made
Pyongyang, June 19 (KCNA) -- The north-south working contact for the revision of contracts on the Kaesong Industrial Zone (KIZ) was made in Kaesong on Friday.

At the contact the north side said that the working contact was arranged to keep the work in the KIZ on a normal footing as it finds itself in a very difficult situation owing to the recently changed inter-Korean relations.

The north side chided the south side for deciding to fully participate in the PSI right after the contact began, without making any sincere approach towards the contact, and zealously joining in the "sanctions".

The south side's behavior cannot be interpreted otherwise than a deliberate and premeditated act to deny even the work in the KIZ, the only lever for cooperation between the north and the south, and throw an obstacle in the way of the working contact, the north side charged, urging the south side to refrain from doing anything to bedevil the situation contrary to the desire and aspiration of the nation and take a sincere stance towards the work in the KIZ and the working contact aimed at improving it.

As regards the issue of revising the contracts on the KIZ the north side recalled that at the previous contact it clarified its principled stand on the renegotiating the preferential steps concerning the KIZ and advanced specific proposals on land use tax, wages, taxes, etc.

Noting that the north side advanced the proposals, taking into full consideration the practices done in the special economic zones in other countries and the south side and the political, economic and military peculiarities of the KIZ, in particular, the north side said that one may say it is the authorities of the south side that get the biggest profits from the KIZ from a political, economic and military point of view.

The north side stressed that if the south side truly wishes to see the KIZ operating on a stable basis, it should affirmatively accept the issues and innovative proposals put forward by the north side and positively respond to them.

Then followed a speech by the south side.

The north side called to task the south side for laying hurdles in the way of the working contact on the work in the KIZ, evading its responsibility and duty and creating complexity by raising an issue irrelevant to the revision of the contracts and urged it to sincerely approach the discussion of issues with a correct attitude and stand.

Both sides agreed to have the next working contact on July 2.

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