He referred to the fact that the DPRK has further reenergized the country's overall economy and achieved successes in the improvement of the people's standard of living by stepping up the building of a thriving nation under the wise leadership of the dear respected Kim Jong Un.

He reiterated the DPRK's will to bolster up its capabilities for national defence and, at the same time, exert efforts for developing the economy and improving people's standard of living for the purpose of making sustained efforts for peaceful development.

Referring to the repeated vicious cycle of confrontation and escalated tensions and the touch-and-go situation prevailing on the Korean peninsula due to the U.S., he said:

The U.S. aims to disarm the DPRK and bring down its social system by employing all means and methods.

It also seeks to further reinforce its military deployment to contain other countries by massively introducing latest war equipment into the Asia-Pacific region under the pretext of the "threat" from the DPRK.

The U.S. is still trumpeting about "provocation" and "threat" from the DPRK, which reminds one of a guilty party filing the suit first. All facts go to prove that the real provocateur and main culprit of acute tensions is none other than the U.S.

Such unceasing vicious cycle of acute tensions on the peninsula is attributable to the deeply-rooted hostile policy of the U.S. toward the DPRK.

The U.S. has not recognized the sovereignty of the DPRK but pursued all sorts of sanctions, pressure and military provocation against it for more than half a century since it designated the DPRK as enemy from the very day of its founding for the mere reason that it has differing ideology and social system.

It is impossible to settle the nuclear issue on the peninsula and any other matters and the vicious cycle of tensions will persist nonstop unless the U.S. rolls back its hostile policy toward the DPRK and defuses its nuclear threat to the DPRK.

The U.S. drop of its hostile policy should start from the conclusion of a peace treaty between the U.S. and the DPRK on the basis of the respect for the latter's sovereignty and halt to all sanctions and military provocations against it.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Korean Armistice Agreement.

We once again call for an immediate dismantlement of the "UN Command" which has existed so far by abusing the name of the UN as a leftover of the Korean War.

Consistent is our stand to put an end to the tensions on the peninsula through dialogue and negotiations and to contribute to the regional peace and security.

Recently the DPRK proposed high-level talks between the authorities of the DPRK and the U.S. to have sincere discussions on wide-ranging issues including defusing military tensions on the peninsula, replacing the Armistice Agreement by a peace mechanism and "building a world without nuclear weapons" touted by the U.S.

Now that the international community is expressing serious concern over the tense situation on the peninsula, if the U.S. truly wants detente, it should respond to the bold decision and goodwill of the DPRK without any precondition.

Proceeding from its invariable stand for independent reunification of the country and peace and prosperity of the nation, the DPRK will make responsible and patient efforts to implement the June 15 joint declaration and the October 4 declaration.

The DPRK foreign minister expressed belief that the member states of the forum would extend support and solidarity to the sincere efforts of the DPRK to end the vicious cycle of tensions and achieve durable peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

The DPRK government will as ever make every effort to boost the friendly and cooperative relations with the regional countries, guided by the idea of its foreign policy -- independence, peace and friendship -- and protect peace and security in the region including the peninsula, he stressed.