North Korea Sets No Conditions on Talks - Russia
Date: 08-Aug-03
Country: RUSSIA
Author: Andrei Shukshin
The talks, intended to end a nuclear standoff between Washington and Pyongyang, are to take place soon in Beijing and bring together the two Koreas, Russia, the United States, China and Japan.
"The North Korean side has put forward no conditions and to my understanding Pyongyang is interested exactly in six-way talks," Deputy Foreign Minister Yuri Fedotov said in comments to Japan's NHK television, posted on the ministry's Web site.
The prospect of fresh negotiations comes after months of tension following Washington's announcement last October that Pyongyang had disclosed it was pursuing a covert nuclear weapons program.
Pyongyang had previously insisted on bilateral talks with the United States. Washington had rejected that option, demanding North Korea dismantle its nuclear weapons programs first and insisting that concerned neighbor states take part.
"As far as bilateral issues are concerned, which some countries may discuss, the multi-side format is suitable for it," Fedotov said. "But I repeat, there have been no conditions made by DPRK (North Korea)."
Pyongyang has said it wanted a one-on-one meeting with U.S. diplomats during the talks.
Moscow, sidelined during the first round of negotiations in April when officials from North Korea, China and the United States met in Beijing, was the first to hear from Pyongyang about its agreement to hold six-way talks.
Fedotov refused to rate chances of success of the forthcoming meeting, expected to take place this or next month, saying the toughest part had not begun yet.
"The most difficult stage will come when these talks begin. And it is hard to expect any quick success. All parties will apparently need to be extremely patient, display constructive approaches and readiness to listen to the other side," he said.
Sketching out Russia's views, Fedotov said the main task of the talks should be to guarantee that North Korea's nuclear program is totally peaceful at the same time as making sure that it receives economic aid it is likely to be promised.
He said Pyongyang should be given security guarantees it is seeking and suggested the Korean peninsula might need a "roadmap" - like the one worked out for the Middle East - to make sure all parties involved stick to their obligations.
The nuclear crisis escalated early this year when North Korea expelled U.N. nuclear inspectors, pulled out of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and restarted a mothballed reactor at Yongbyon north of Pyongyang.