14 August 1998
TRANSCRIPT: SPECIAL STATE DEPARTMENT BRIEFING AUGUST 13
State Department Deputy Spokesman James Foley briefed. NORTH KOREA -- Foley announced that US bilateral talks with Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) are scheduled for August 21 in New York. It will be the latest in a series of similar meetings that have been held over the past several years with the representatives of North Korea, according to Foley. The last such meeting was held in March in Berlin. "As in previous meetings, the full range of bilateral issues will be discussed, including implementation of the 1994 US-DPRK agreed framework to which we remain resolutely committed. But we're hopeful that in this session and in others that we'll be able to make progress in the bilateral relationship," Foley said. Following is the State Department transcript: (begin transcript) U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Office of the Spokesman SPECIAL BRIEFING ON THE RECORD, OFF CAMERA BY DEPUTY SPOKESMAN JAMES B. FOLEY AND DIRECTOR OF THE PRESS OFFICE LEE McCLENNY Washington, D.C. August 13, 1998 ................... Q: North Korea a North Korean official anonymous was quoted by the usually reliable North Korean Central News Agency today as threatening to allow the 1994 nuclear agreement to lapse unless economic sanctions were lifted. There was also a reference to an upcoming mid-August meeting with the North Koreans. FOLEY: Well, we don't acknowledge that the framework agreement is contingent on extraneous issues. This is an agreement that was entered into on all sides seriously; it's something that the United States takes seriously; we take compliance with its terms seriously. The range of bilateral issues between the United States and North Korea are a separate matter. It is true, as reported, that US-DPRK bilateral talks are scheduled for August 21 in New York. A special envoy for the Korean peace talks, Ambassador Charles Kartman, will head the US side. The head of the North Korean delegation will be Vice Foreign Minister Kim Gye Gwan, and this will be the latest in a series of similar meetings that have been held over the past several years. The last such meeting was held in March in Berlin. As in previous meetings, the full range of bilateral issues will be discussed, including implementation of the 1994 US-DPRK agreed framework to which we remain resolutely committed. But we're hopeful that in this session and in others that we'll be able to make progress in the bilateral relationship. Q: Is this your first announcement of this meeting? FOLEY: Yes. (end transcript)
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