Trio to Fine-Tune NK Proposal in DC Meeting
2003-08-12
South Korea, the United States and Japan are expected to compare their North Korean cards and fine-tune differences in Washington D.C. on Wednesday in preparation for the approaching six-way North Korea nuclear talks in Beijing later this month.
South Korea's Deputy Foreign Minister Lee Soo-hyuck said on Monday (Aug. 11) that the U.S. has almost finalized a proposal it will present to North Korea, which will be reviewed by Seoul and Tokyo officials before the talks.
“The United States has informed us its proposal has almost been put together and it was ready to meet us,” said Lee, who will fly to the meeting on Tuesday accompanied by the ministry's director-general for North American affairs, Wi Sung-lac.
South Korea and Japan already produced their roadmaps for a resolution of the North Korean nuclear crisis in earlier meetings, and have been eagerly awaiting for one from the U.S.
The three nations agreed on the need to produce a joint North-Korea strategy during the ASEAN Regional Forum meeting in Cambodia in June.
Deputy Minister Lee said, however, whether the trio will come up with an identical proposal to North Korea at the six-way meeting, to be attended also by Russia and Japan, is another matter.
“Whether the three nations will produce a joint proposal or proceed with individual ones has not been decided,” he said in a briefing to reporters at the ministry's headquarters.
His words are seen as a tacit reference to the alleged differences between South Korea and the U.S. reported by some media organizations last week. On Aug. 7, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported Washington is favoring a package settlement, as opposed to the phase-out approach favored by Seoul.
The difference apparently stems from American mistrust of the North Korean regime, which has violated the Geneva Agreed Framework, a failed agreement in Washington's view, which contained multiple phases toward crisis resolution.
Lee, however, said Seoul's previous position remains unchanged.
“What I mean is that there may be strategic differences between the three nations that leave room open for expression of individual opinions in talks,” he said.
The diplomat, who is expected to head the South Korean delegation for the six-way talks, denied news reports that the two Koreas and Russia will meet in Moscow on Wednesday.
“Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov will happen to meet both South Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jae-sup and North Korea's Vice Minister Kong Sok-ung on the same day,” he said, adding no three-way meeting is planned.
As for the likely opening date of talks, which the Chinese vice foreign minister said would be for three days between Aug. 25-31, Lee did not elaborate.
“Transportation may also be an important factor,” he said curtly, when a reporter asked that since the regular Pyongyang-Beijing flights operate on Aug. 26 and 30, whether this meant talks would be held between Aug. 27 and 29.
Source : www.korea.net
