NK, US, China to Meet in Beijing on Nuke Issue
2003-04-17
Officials from North Korea, China and the United States will meet in Beijing next week to discuss ways of resolving the lingering tension over the North's nuclear weapons program, a senior Foreign Affairs-Trade Ministry official said on Wednesday (April 16).
"The envisioned multilateral talks to discuss the North Korean nuclear issue will likely start soon, consisting of the North, the United States and China at the initial stage," the official said on condition of anonymity.
"The officials from the three nations are likely to focus on details of future talks, including scope of participation, agenda and other issues," the official said.
North Korea on Wednesday reiterated its willingness to come to the multilateral table to discuss the nuclear issue once the U.S. shifts away from its hostile policy toward the communist nation.
"We will stick to the format of the future dialogue once the U.S. gives up hostility and sincerely responds to the dialogue," it said via a commentary on its official paper, Minju Choson.
North Korea has been insisting on the three-way dialogue, describing it as the only available option, which South Korea accepted to ensure a smooth start to discourse.
Seoul is considering taking part in the multilateral forum at an appropriate juncture, but controversy is expected to arise as such a move runs counter to South Korea's much-stressed principle of taking a leading role in resolving the North Korean nuclear row.
South Korean Ambassador to the United States Han Seung-joo said on Wednesday the U.S. is not concerned with the format of the multilateral talks, only underlining the importance of beginning dialogue itself at an early date.
"The U.S. judges it would be realistic to let South Korea and Japan participate in the talks later when dealing with economic cooperation and Russia in discussing the energy issue," Han said in a press conference at the ministry headquarters in central Seoul.
He predicts that the multilateral dialogue will eventually become a six-way forum encompassing relevant neighboring countries.
"Although the talks will begin in the form of a three-way device, it will evolve into a four-tiered one, including South Korea, or a six-way format covering Japan and Russia, as the cooperation of three nations will be inevitable in the lead-up to the settlement of the North Korean nuclear issue," another ministry official said.
For instance, economic assistance on condition of North Korea's renouncement of its nuclear programs would be almost impossible without the support of South Korea and Japan.
"For one thing, Seoul and Tokyo have been the main contributors for the construction of two light water reactors in North Korea under the 1994 Agree Framework between North Korea and the U.S.," the official said.
White House spokesman Ari Fleischer also indicated there would be agreement regarding the framework of the multilateral talks, saying the U.S. and its allies have been making considerable progress in talks on a multilateral dialogue.
At first the U.S. presented the "P5 plus 5" format, composed of five UN Security Council permanent members and South, North Korea, Japan, European Union and Australia, with regard to the participatory scope for the multilateral talks, an idea rebuffed by the North.
China and Russia, which earlier supported the North Korean position of holding one-on-one talks with the U.S. talks, tried to persuade the North to accept the U.S.-initiated multilateral dialogue because the U.S. had been adamant on its position.
China, in particular, reportedly wielded a considerable amount of influence on North Korea, with ranking officials including Deputy Premier Qian Qichen visiting the North to persuade it to enter into the multilateral talks.
Source : www.korea.net
