December 6, 2002	Friday	Shawwal 1,1423

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NEW DELHI, Dec 5: North Korea on Thursday broke its silence over mounting allegations of its nuclear and ballistic weapons cooperation with Pakistan, calling the charges a US plot to destabilize its relations with India.

The Delhi-based embassy of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) issued a statement that Pyongyang would not allow such reports to hinder “friendly relations” with India.

“Recently some in the Indian media issued reports that could greatly affect friendly relations between DPRK and India on the so-called nuclear and missile cooperation between DPRK and Pakistan,” the statement said.

“These follow plots by dishonest forces to internationally isolate the DPRK and drive a wedge into friendly relations between the DPRK and India, and fish in troubled waters, taking advantage of attempts by the United States to stifle North Korea.

“No one can drive a wedge between the DPRK-India friendly relations,” the embassy added.

The reaction came almost 10 days after Delhi demanded an international probe into Islamabad’s alleged cooperation with Pyongyang.

India on Nov 26 also said the alleged link placed a question mark over the proclaimed commitment by the two countries to non-proliferation and export controls.—AFP