열린장관실

Remarks by H.E. Ban Ki-moon,

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade on the Occasion of Welcoming Luncheon

for Senator Lisa Murkowski,

Chair of the Subcommittee on

East Asian and Pacific Affairs,

U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs

- January 9. 2006 -

Senator Lisa Murkowski,

Distinguished Guests,

    It is indeed a great pleasure and honour for me to host this welcoming luncheon for Senator Lisa Murkowski.  On behalf of the Korean government and people, I extend my heartfelt greetings to Senator Murkowski and warmly  welcome you to Korea and also to my residence.

    As we all know, Senator Murkowski is the first female Senator to represent Alaska and the first native-born Alaskan Senator to serve on the Senate.

    She is also well-known to be a hardworking Senator and an experienced leader. Moreover, she has also gained the great trust and full respect of the whole American people, in addition to the people of Alaska.

     Senator Murkowski has the keen ability to discern the possibility of finding a converging point among seemingly contradictory views on many tricky issues. I have heard she is working hard to increase opportunities for further exploration of natural resources in Alaska while conserving Alaska’s natural heritage.

    I am confident that her caliber as a good and compassionate listener as well as a realistic and moderate leader comes from her sense of balance.  I believe that this characteristic which has created an ideal statesman will also contribute to her capacity to better understand the complex issues surrounding the Korean Peninsula.

    I hope that she will continue to work harder to spread this balanced understanding of the issues on the Korean Peninsula in Capitol Hill.

    Ladies and Gentlemen !

    On the Korean Peninsula, the legacy of the Cold War still hangs over our present. The North Korean nuclear issue presents a direct threat to the Korean people and a grave challenge to the peace and stability of Northeast Asia.

    Last September, the Six-party Talks produced a historic Joint Statement for the eventual denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.  

    Korea and the U.S have been closely coordinating to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue peacefully and to lay a solid foundation for establishing a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula.  I look forward to the U.S continued support for achieving this important goal.

    The Korean people do not forget that at the core of the efforts towards peace and prosperity on the Korean peninsula lies the alliance between Korea and the United States. The alliance has been a strong bedrock that transformed Korea into a mature democracy and the world’s 11th largest economy.

    We hope that our strong alliance will continue to effectively explore common objectives to make this region more prosperous and peaceful in the 21st century.

    In this vein, I look forward to the first-ever Strategic Dialogue with Secretary Rice next week in Washington D.C. This dialogue will enable us to deal with bilateral, regional and global issues from the strategic and long-term perspectives.

    Senator Murkowski !

    There is an old saying, 靑出於藍, meaning that a disciple outshines his master. I am confident that you will not only continue in your father's footsteps, but also strive beyond what he has achieved.

    You have been defending  the hopes and dreams of American people and we in Korea are grateful for your staunch support for the comprehensive, dynamic and mutually beneficial Korea-US alliance.  I wish that your visit to Korea will prove to be fruitful and rewarding.

Distinguished Guests!

Please join me in a toast for the continued good health and success of Senator Murkowski and the bright future of our alliance.  Thank you !

 /END/