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Bush, Roh discuss peace treaty

SEOUL, Nov. 20 (UPI) -- U.S. President George Bush and South Korea's Roh Moo Hyun reportedly have a peace plan to encourage North Korea to end its nuclear program.

The two leaders, who met in Vietnam, discussed a peace treaty to formally end the 1950-53 Korean War, thereby setting up a "peace regime" which will be an incentive to the North, reports the Korea Times.

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Bush said the United States would sign such a treaty if North Korea gave up its nuclear weapons program, a top official who attended the summit was quoted as saying.

The announcement was welcomed by South Korea's opposition parties as well as the ruling Uri Party, which said such a declaration would establish permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula.

South Korea's Foreign Minister-nominee Song Min-soon told reporters in Vietnam that the Roh-Bush summit also dealt with economic and security incentives to North Korea in return for verifiable scrapping of its nuclear weapons program.

"What is important now is not the words, but the exchange of will to translate them into action,'' Song said. He said North Korea too must take action when the new round of the six-party talks resume.

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