DATE=8/5/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=KOREA - TALKS (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-252508
BYLINE=GORDON MARTIN
DATELINE=GENEVA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Negotiators from the United States, China, and
North and South Korea opened the latest round of talks
(today/Thursday) in Geneva to try to bring a permanent
peace to the divided Korean Peninsula. // Opt /// The
talks began in December 1997 to upgrade the armistice
that ended the 1950-53 Korean War. // End opt /// So
far, there has been virtually no progress and as
Gordon Martin reports from Geneva, there is little
prospect of significant results from this latest
series of talks
TEXT: This sixth round -- which is set to continue
until Monday - is talking place against a backdrop of
new tensions in the Korean Peninsula.
The latest crisis has been caused by North Korea's
threat to test fire a missile as a follow up to the
North Korean test a year ago that sent a missile into
Japanese air space.
Earlier this week, the North Korean side warned that
as escalation of United States pressure would only
serve to increase the likelihood of a further missile
test.
In bilateral talks before the main negotiations began,
officials said that the chief U-S delegate, Charles
Kartman, expressed serious concern about the issue to
his counterpart, North Korean Vice Foreign Minister,
Kim Gye Gwan.
But officials are seeking to play down the possibly
negative impact of the latest missile crisis in the
talks.
Ambassador Qian Yong-nian, head of the Chinese
delegation and chairman of the round, told reporters
that he could not say whether the issue would be
touched on or not. But he stressed that it was not
on the agenda. He said the focus was a peace regime
for the peninsula and in-depth discussion of
confidence building measures.
Another irritant denounced by North Korea is the
holding of a joint military exercise this week between
naval vessels and helicopters from South Korea and
Japan.
The closed-door talks are taking place as usual under
the sponsorship of Switzerland in premises that house
the Swiss Mission to the United Nations. A senior
Swiss diplomat, Ambassador Erwin Hofer, welcomed the
delegates.
///ACT HOFER ///
/// Opt /// It is my privilege and honor to
welcome you today to Geneva on behalf of the
Swiss Government on the occasion of the formal
opening of the sixth round of the Four Party
Talks on the Korean Peninsula. We are very
pleased, indeed, to host this new round and to
be able to continue to offer a framework for
your discussion, which you undoubtedly have
grown used to. /// End opt /// We wish you, the
Chinese Chairman and all four parties, the best
of success in our effort to achieve peace and
security in Korea. It is a difficult task, but
a most important one, in the interest of the
region, in the interest of global security as a
whole, and above all, in the interest of the
Korean people.
/// END ACT ///
Ambassador Hofer pledged Switzerland's readiness to
help identify ways and means to move the discussions
forward.
Officials, however, stress that this is a long haul
operation and warn against any expectation of major
breakthroughs or significant progress.
But some analysts see a real risk of the process
eventually unraveling under the strain of recurrent
increases in tensions in the region.
Ambassador Qian, in an opening statement, warned that
if the periodic heightening of tension and other
problems could not be ended, the relative stability
on the peninsula was bound to be fragile, and the
talk's objective of lasting peace could hardly be
achieved.
The Chinese chairman called on all parties to do more
things that were favorable to the reduction of
tensions, instead of anything that might irritate
other parties. (Signed)
NEB/GM/GE/ENE/KL
05-Aug-1999 09:51 AM EDT (05-Aug-1999 1351 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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