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NK, US Close to Agreeing on 5-Way Talks

2003-07-23

The dates for trilateral talks between North Korea, the United States and China on the nuclear standoff and five-way talks including South Korea and Japan could be announced simultaneously, a senior Seoul official said on Tuesday (July 22).

"Since the U.S. considers the three-way talks a component of the five-way meeting, we expect the schedule for three- and five-way talks will likely be fixed together," the official said on condition of anonymity.

An agreement on the exact format of talks between Pyongyang, Washington and Beijing has yet to be made, meaning a date has also yet to be fixed, he added.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair, in China on the third leg of his Asian visit, said Monday there is a desire to restart three-way talks over the North Korean nuclear crisis "in the next few weeks."

Speaking after a meeting with Chinese leaders in Beijing, Blair said the dialogue format should be expanded at some stage to include South Korea and Japan.

South Korean officials said the probability of Russia's participation in the expanded multilateral talks is low, but believed Japan is sure to take part in the meeting.

"I have heard no report that North Korea, the U.S. and China discussed Russia's participation in talks," the official said.

"Realistically, Japan's participation is necessary for the talks to yield an agreement. Its presence will provide an element for the sincere implementation of an agreement," he said.

China is expected to send a senior envoy, possibly a military official, to North Korea timed with the 50th anniversary of the armistice on Sunday, and further discussion on the nuclear issue could take place.

Beijing has taken on an active mediating role to restart dialogue on the North's controversial nuclear program after an initial round of trilateral talks were held in April. Deputy Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo visited Pyongyang earlier this month and met with National Defense Commission Chairman Kim Jong-il.

Source : www.korea.net