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Bush Vows Efforts for Successful 6-Way Talks

Korea-Net

Release Date: 9/04/2003

U.S. President George W. Bush on Thursday told South Korean Foreign Affairs-Trade Minister Yoon Young-kwan that he strongly supports the six-way dialogue process to resolve the North Korean nuclear weapons issue and that he will exert his utmost effort for its success.

The U.S. leader met Yoon for 20 minutes at the White House. Yoon is visiting Washington for follow-up discussions on the Aug. 27-29 talks with Secretary of State Colin Powell. The meeting proceeded in a very friendly atmosphere, according to Yoon and Powell.

°President Bush said he has a firm belief in the importance of the six-party talks,¡± said Yoon about the outcome of the meeting held just after his talks with Powell.

°He said he will put in the utmost effort for the success of the six-party talks.¡±

Bush¡¯s remark comes only a few days after North Korea threatened not to continue the talks, which ended without an agreement last week in Beijing, in protest of the U.S. Given this, Bush¡¯s statement is seen to throw weight behind the pro-dialogue forces in Washington who have been waging a battle against advocates of stricter measures against Pyongyang.

Foreign Minister Yoon said he got a strong impression that Washington will work toward a solution to the crisis.

°Basically, President Bush¡¯s remark that this issue must be resolved through six-way dialogue became an order. This order shall be kept in effect in the future and efforts will continue accordingly,¡± he said during a meeting with Korean reporters.

The Bush-Yoon meeting marked the first time in a decade that a South Korean foreign minister met with a U.S. president while visiting for foreign minister talks. Former foreign minister Han Seung-joo, now Seoul¡¯s ambassador to the U.S., met with President Bill Clinton in 1993.

The U.S. president expressed particular affinity toward President Roh Moo-hyun throughout the meeting at the Oval Office. Also noteworthy was that Colin Powell, who represents moderates in the administration, accompanied Bush during the meeting with Yoon.

°President Bush¡¯s first words at the meeting were, ¡®How is my friend doing?¡¯ and `I like him,¡±¡® Yoon said. Powell also testified to the overall friendly mood, telling reporters Yoon had ¡°a very, very good conversation¡± with Bush.

Yoon went on to continue talking with Powell at the State Department, evaluating the results of last week¡¯s Beijing talks, discussing the future of the talks and U.S. forces realignment on the Korean peninsula.

Asked for a comment on North Korea¡¯s threat last week to conduct a nuclear test, which Powell confirmed the North Koreans did say at the six-way talks, he said the U.S. continues to look for a diplomatic solution.

"The president has made it clear... that we have no intention of invading North Korea, or attacking North Korea," he said at a news conference held with Yoon.

Powell, however, added the U.S. is ¡°not removing any of the options¡± on the table and will not be influenced by threats and truculent statements designed to frighten the international community.

He said Washington will also continue efforts to intercept North Korea¡¯s contraband activity on the high seas, smuggling drugs and other illegal materials.

Yoon went on to meet Sen. Joseph Biden, former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, in the afternoon.

The foreign minister is due to meet with National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice and Deputy Secretary of State Paul Wolfowitz during his visit that is scheduled to end Friday, Washington time.

He will also have talks with congressional leaders including Richard Lugar, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, and Henry Hyde, chairman of the House International Relations Committee.