09 November 1999
Text: State Department November 9 on U.S.-ROK-Japan Meeting
(Delegations review recent North Korean contact, policies) (540) At the conclusion of a two-day Trilateral Coordination and Oversight Group meeting in Washington, D.C. November 9, U.S. Department of State Spokesman James Rubin said U.S., South Korean, and Japanese delegations had reviewed their countries' contacts with North Korea and had exchanged views on the next round of U.S.-North Korea talks to be held in Berlin on November 15. According to a November 9 statement from the Department of State, the delegations took note of positive developments with respect to North Korea made in September and the valuable contributions made to the overall atmosphere by expanded exchanges and cooperation between North and South Korea. The statement also says the delegations share the hope that North Korea will continue to take positive steps to improve the atmosphere, the determination to continue close coordination of their North Korean policy approaches, and the commitment to implementation of the 1994 Agreed Framework. Following is the text of the statement: (begin text) U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Office of the Spokesman November 9, 1999 #99/1005 STATEMENT BY JAMES P. RUBIN, SPOKESMAN U.S.-ROK-Japan Trilateral Meetings The delegations of the United States, the Republic of Korea, and Japan, headed respectively by State Department Counselor Ambassador Wendy Sherman, ROK Deputy Foreign Minister Jang Jai-ryong, and Japanese MOFA Deputy Vice Minister for Foreign Policy, Yukio Takeuchi, held a Trilateral Coordination and Oversight Group (TCOG) meeting in Washington, D.C. on November 8-9. The three delegations reviewed the situation on the Korean Peninsula and their respective contacts with the DPRK, and exchanged views on recent U.S.-DPRK talks in Berlin and on the next round of such talks to be held again in Berlin on November 15. The delegations took note of the positive developments since the Trilateral Summit of September 12, in Auckland, including the outcome of the September 7-12 U.S.-DPRK Berlin talks; the U.S. announcement on the easing of sanctions against the DPRK on September 17; and the DPRK statement, reiterated by its Foreign Minister on September 25, expressing its intention to refrain from missile launches as the U.S. and DPRK engage in high-level discussions about improving bilateral relations. The delegations also noted the valuable contributions made to the overall atmosphere by ROK-DPRK expanded exchanges and cooperation in economic, cultural, social, and other fields, and the recent Japanese decision to lift its ban on charter flights to the DPRK. They expressed the shared hope that the DPRK would also continue to take positive steps to improve the atmosphere, and that further improvements would be made in their respective relationships with the DPRK. They agreed that South-North reconciliation, cooperation, and tension reduction on the Korean Peninsula were the keys to stability and peace there. Finally, the delegations renewed their determination to continue close coordination of their policy approaches to the DPRK. They also reaffirmed their commitment to implementation of the 1994 Agreed Framework, which marked its fifth anniversary on October 21. The Framework continues to be essential to the peace and security of the Korean Peninsula. (end text) (Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State)
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