(MENAFN- QNA) UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the release of two US nationals by North Korea.
The two US citizens, Kenneth Bae and Matthew Todd Miller, were released following negotiations and are reportedly on their way back home, according to UN news center.
According to media reports, the two had been sentenced to hard labour in the DPRK after their separate arrests in November 2012 and April 2014, respectively.
In a statement attributable to his spokesperson, the Secretary-General welcomed the news of the release of Bae and Miller, adding that he was "relieved" the two were "safely returning home." In addition, Ban voiced appreciation for the DPRK's decision to release them following the last month's release Jeffrey Fowle, another US citizen who had been detained by DPRK authorities.
"The Secretary-General hopes that this positive momentum for improving relations among the concerned parties for peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and beyond will be built on," concluded Ban's statement.
The release of Bae and Miller comes on the heels of a political dialogue held last month between the Republic of Korea and the DPRK, following which both parties agreed to hold yet another round of high-level talks soon.
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