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6-Way Nuke Talks Likely Between Aug. 25-31

2003-08-11

Six-way talks aimed at resolving the standoff over the North Korea's nuclear weapons program will probably be held the last week of this month in Beijing, diplomatic sources in Seoul and Beijing said.

South Korea, the United States and Japan will meet in Washington D.C. on Wednesday to fine-tune their proposals to be made at the talks with North Korea, they also said.

A government official in Seoul confirmed remarks by Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday that "talks will be held for three days between the 25th and 31st of this month," but refused to pinpoint the exact date.

Wang, who has played an active role in bringing North Korea to the table for talks, spoke after returning from a three-day visit to Pyongyang for discussions on the North's nuclear program.

Japan's Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported Saturday six-way talks may open on Aug. 26, although didn't cite sources.

Seoul officials see the Washington meeting as the time for last-minute coordination ahead of the talks.

"It will be a chance for South Korea and Japan to put forward their exact stances on U.S. proposals for North Korea," said a Foreign Affairs-Trade Ministry official, adding the talks may end in just one day.

Washington's idea for a semiformal security guarantee to Pyongyang in return for scrapping its nukes, mentioned by Secretary of State Colin Powell last week, is likely to be discussed in depth.

Deputy Foreign Minister Lee Soo-hyuck and Wi Sung-lac, director-general of the North American affairs bureau from Seoul will leave for talks in Washington, which will be attended by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly and Japanese Director-General of Asian and Oceanian Affairs Yabunaka Mitoji.

However, the possibility of raising the six-way talks from deputy foreign-minister level to vice-minister level is slim, Seoul officials said.

China will likely send Vice Foreign Minister Wang, Russia will send Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov and South Korea's Foreign Ministry will probably send Lee Soo-hyuck to the Beijing meeting.

"Both Wang and Losyukov are deputy ministers, the same as Lee," said the Seoul official.

It is unclear whether North Korea will send the powerful Kang Sok-ju, first vice foreign minister, to Beijing, instead of Ri Gun, deputy director-general of American affairs at the Foreign Ministry.

Last-minute bilateral negotiations between participants of the six-way talks are scheduled for this week.

South Korea-China foreign minister talks and a South Korea-Russia vice foreign ministers meeting will take place on Wednesday in Seoul and Moscow, respectively. Discussions for Japan Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi to visit Seoul are also under way.

Source : www.korea.net