NK Hints at Multilateral Talks on Nuke Issue
2003-05-26
North Korea has said it will accept a multilateral format to discuss the prolonged face-off over its nuclear weapons program after outstanding issues are resolved in bilateral talks with the United States.
"We are prepared to hold the multilateral meeting proposed by the United States after we directly talk to the U.S.," a spokesman of the North Korean Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.
The North criticized the U.S. for failing to respond to its "new and bold" proposal during the China-mediated tripartite meeting in Beijing April 23-25. "The U.S. has only stuck to the format of the negotiation," the spokesman said.
This is the first time the reclusive nation has expressed willingness to participate in official multilateral talks.
The Seoul government renewed its position that the dialogue momentum should be maintained irrespective of whether it will be able to take part in the multilateral talks.
In contrast, the U.S. has been maintaining that future nuclear talks should be held in a multilateral format, with South Korea and Japan joining the U.S., North Korea and China.
"As it has been a firm U.S. stance that Seoul and Tokyo should take part in the forthcoming talks, it is possible that the next round of meeting will be delayed depending on the North's attitude," a senior official at the Foreign Affairs-Trade Ministry said.
He added that the three nations will closely consult when coordinating policies toward North Korea, including the format of future talks through various dialogue channels like the Trilateral Coordination and Oversight Group meeting.
U.S. President George Bush and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi agreed during a summit meeting on Saturday on the need to hold five-way meetings to discuss the North Korean issue.
Source : www.korea.net
