Statement on the Korean Peninsula Peace Process

I am pleased with the agreement reached today in New York to begin plenary talks on December 9 in Geneva to achieve a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. It carries forward the four-party peace initiative President Kim Yong-sam and I launched in April 1996. In Geneva, the four parties—the United States, the Republic of Korea, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and the People's Republic of China—will together discuss how we can secure a stable and permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula. There is a lot of hard work ahead. But this is an important first step and the United States is prepared to be a full partner in helping the Korean people build a future of peace.