ID :
199048
Thu, 08/04/2011 - 05:38
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/199048
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North Korea, U.S. Wrap Up 'Constructive' Talks in New York
SEOUL (Yonhap) - As the international community closely watched the turbulent situation on the Korean Peninsula, Pyongyang and Washington wrapped up two days of talks in New York over how to resume the stalled six-party talks on the North's denuclearization.
North Korea and the United States conducted high-level talks in New York last week, which both sides said were "constructive." But no word was given whether the socialist state would meet Seoul and Washington's precondition that it move to dismantle its nuclear programs ahead of resuming negotiations.
North Korea's First-vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan traveled to New York at the invitation of the United States and met with Stephen Bosworth, the State Department's special representative for North Korea policy, on July 28 and 29.
As North Korea's Kim described, the atmosphere was good, but Kim and Bosworth offered no details on whether substantial progress was made during the meeting held at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations.
Kim called the talks "very constructive and business-like," while Bosworth said the U.S. is open to dialogue with North Korea as long as it is serious about denuclearization.
The Kim-Bosworth talks, their first in 19 months, were aimed at exploring ways to restart the six-party talks that also involve South Korea, China, Japan and Russia.
The U.S. has tried to limit media expectations, characterizing the meetings as "exploratory and preliminary" to see if the unpredictable communist nation is ready for full-scale dialogue on bilateral ties and denuclearization.
Wrapping up a weeklong stay in New York, Kim expressed satisfaction on Aug. 2 with the results of his talks with U.S. officials. "Dialogue will continue down the road," he added.
Kim also said that more bilateral meetings are needed before multilateral negotiations can resume. "Isn't it good for each side to reconcile and guarantee security?" he asked. "Think. What benefits come from fighting and criticizing each other, whether between the North and the U.S. or the North and the South?"
In a brief statement, Bosworth stressed, "We reiterated that the path is open to North Korea towards the resumption of talks on improved relations with the United States and greater regional stability if North Korea demonstrates through its actions that it supports the resumption of the six-party process as a committed and constructive partner," he said.
The State Department would not confirm whether the U.S. agreed to have additional bilateral talks with North Korea, citing the need to consult with the other members of the six-party talks on terminating the communist nation's nuclear weapons program.
The North's ambassador to the United Nations, Sin Son-ho, also made clear his country's desires. "Now is the era of dialogue," he told reporters separately.
Meanwhile, Kim left New York for Beijing on Aug. 2 and will stay in the Chinese capital for two days for consultations with local officials, according to diplomatic sources.
U.S. officials neither confirmed nor denied Pyongyang's announcement that the two sides agreed to further dialogue when Kim and Bosworth met in New York.
"We thought that these were good meetings, that they were constructive. And we're going to consult with our partners on the way forward," State Department spokesman Mark Toner said at a press briefing.
He added he has nothing to announce yet on Bosworth's potential trips to South Korea, China and Japan to share the results of his talks with Kim.
The North's foreign ministry announced earlier that it agreed to hold additional talks with Washington.
With regard to the North's uranium enrichment program (UEP), Toner reiterated that Pyongyang should live up to its international obligations to abandon all of its nuclear programs in exchange for economic and political benefits.
Speaking to reporters in New York over the weekend, the North Korean vice foreign minister claimed its UEP is to "produce electricity."
In New York, meanwhile, Kim attended a seminar on Aug. 1 with American experts on Korea, hosted by the National Committee on American Foreign Policy (NCAFP), a source said.
A senior South Korean diplomat to the United Nations on Aug. 1 cautioned against hasty optimism over negotiations with North Korea.
On the North's intentions behind its recent peace gestures, the official, speaking to reporters on the condition of anonymity, said Pyongyang hopes to "induce comments that recognize it as a nuclear state, or lead to interpretations as such, win recognition from many countries for a power succession, and draw investment or assistance amid economic difficulties."
He said he expects the North to use a typical tactic to draw a line between talks with the U.S. and relations with South Korea to maximize its gains. He emphasized the need for close coordination between Seoul and Washington.
"South Korea-U.S. coordination is relatively easy in a frosty, confrontational phase (with North Korea), but once dialogue begins, coordination between South Korea and the U.S. gets more important. That is now the situation," he said.
Toner at the State Department gave no clear answer when asked about the U.S. position on whether further inter-Korean talks are needed in the so-called second-stage denuclearization process.
South Korea and the U.S. have been pushing for a three-tiered approach -- inter-Korean dialogue, Pyongyang-Washington talks and then the six-way nuclear talks.
In Seoul on July 31, a South Korean official said the recent talks between North Korea and the U.S. in New York may not immediately resolve their differences but represent a positive "first step" toward more discussions, a South Korean official said Sunday.
The official said the Kim-Bosworth meeting was "an extension" of an earlier inter-Korean meeting during a regional security forum in Indonesia.
"I believe the mood (in New York) overall was positive," the official said on the condition of anonymity. "This meeting wasn't so groundbreaking that it will solve problems, but it was a first step toward more discussions between North Korea and the U.S."
The first formal dialogue between the two nations in 19 months followed rare inter-Korean dialogue on denuclearization in Bali, Indonesia, on July 22 on the sidelines of a regional security forum.
Wi Sung-lac, Seoul's top nuclear envoy, and Ri Yong-ho, his North Korean counterpart, agreed to work together to resume the stalled multilateral talks on ending the North's nuclear program "as soon as possible."
On additional meetings between Seoul and Pyongyang, or between Pyongyang and Washington, the South Korean official said he expected Kim Kye-gwan to make "a comprehensive decision" once he's back in North Korea.
"Our government will also coordinate with the U.S.," the official added. "Perhaps there will be a chance for a high-level meeting between Seoul and Washington sometime in August."
Asked if the U.S. urged the North to hold inter-Korean talks, the official said, "The U.S. basically wants to have both the inter-Korean dialogue and North-U.S. dialogue on table, and I am sure the North understood this clearly."
The official shot down rumors that Bosworth is about to travel to Pyongyang, and denied that there was an additional meeting between officials from the two Koreas in New York.
The official indicated that the U.S. will take its time to decide how to handle the recent turn of events, saying, "The U.S. is not trying to make quick progress."
He also said chances are low that the U.S. will offer food aid to the impoverished North anytime soon. Robert King, special U.S. envoy for the improvement of North Korea human rights, attended the second day of talks in New York.
King traveled to Pyongyang in late May to see if the reclusive regime needed imminent food aid, and his presence in the meeting fueled speculation about possible provision of food aid.
"I can't preclude that food aid may come up (in the New York meeting), but no decisions have been made about food aid," Toner said about an hour before the end of the talks.
He strongly indicated that the U.S. will take some time to decide whether to continue talks with the North.
"We're going to consult with our partners, certainly South Korea, but also our other six-party talk partners, and I think that we will assess the next steps following these meetings," he said.
In a Sept. 19, 2005, Joint Statement, the North agreed to abandon its nuclear weapons program in exchange for economic and political incentives.
But the six-party talks have been stalled due to Pyongyang's nuclear and missile tests in 2009 and U.N sanctions on the regime.
In July 2009, the North's No. 2 leader, Kim Yong-nam, told an international forum that the six-party talks had come to a permanent end.
Inter-Korean relations also worsened following the North's torpedo attack on a South Korean warship in March last year that killed 46 sailors. The North also launched an artillery attack on a western border island that killed two Marines and two civilians.
North Korea and the United States conducted high-level talks in New York last week, which both sides said were "constructive." But no word was given whether the socialist state would meet Seoul and Washington's precondition that it move to dismantle its nuclear programs ahead of resuming negotiations.
North Korea's First-vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan traveled to New York at the invitation of the United States and met with Stephen Bosworth, the State Department's special representative for North Korea policy, on July 28 and 29.
As North Korea's Kim described, the atmosphere was good, but Kim and Bosworth offered no details on whether substantial progress was made during the meeting held at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations.
Kim called the talks "very constructive and business-like," while Bosworth said the U.S. is open to dialogue with North Korea as long as it is serious about denuclearization.
The Kim-Bosworth talks, their first in 19 months, were aimed at exploring ways to restart the six-party talks that also involve South Korea, China, Japan and Russia.
The U.S. has tried to limit media expectations, characterizing the meetings as "exploratory and preliminary" to see if the unpredictable communist nation is ready for full-scale dialogue on bilateral ties and denuclearization.
Wrapping up a weeklong stay in New York, Kim expressed satisfaction on Aug. 2 with the results of his talks with U.S. officials. "Dialogue will continue down the road," he added.
Kim also said that more bilateral meetings are needed before multilateral negotiations can resume. "Isn't it good for each side to reconcile and guarantee security?" he asked. "Think. What benefits come from fighting and criticizing each other, whether between the North and the U.S. or the North and the South?"
In a brief statement, Bosworth stressed, "We reiterated that the path is open to North Korea towards the resumption of talks on improved relations with the United States and greater regional stability if North Korea demonstrates through its actions that it supports the resumption of the six-party process as a committed and constructive partner," he said.
The State Department would not confirm whether the U.S. agreed to have additional bilateral talks with North Korea, citing the need to consult with the other members of the six-party talks on terminating the communist nation's nuclear weapons program.
The North's ambassador to the United Nations, Sin Son-ho, also made clear his country's desires. "Now is the era of dialogue," he told reporters separately.
Meanwhile, Kim left New York for Beijing on Aug. 2 and will stay in the Chinese capital for two days for consultations with local officials, according to diplomatic sources.
U.S. officials neither confirmed nor denied Pyongyang's announcement that the two sides agreed to further dialogue when Kim and Bosworth met in New York.
"We thought that these were good meetings, that they were constructive. And we're going to consult with our partners on the way forward," State Department spokesman Mark Toner said at a press briefing.
He added he has nothing to announce yet on Bosworth's potential trips to South Korea, China and Japan to share the results of his talks with Kim.
The North's foreign ministry announced earlier that it agreed to hold additional talks with Washington.
With regard to the North's uranium enrichment program (UEP), Toner reiterated that Pyongyang should live up to its international obligations to abandon all of its nuclear programs in exchange for economic and political benefits.
Speaking to reporters in New York over the weekend, the North Korean vice foreign minister claimed its UEP is to "produce electricity."
In New York, meanwhile, Kim attended a seminar on Aug. 1 with American experts on Korea, hosted by the National Committee on American Foreign Policy (NCAFP), a source said.
A senior South Korean diplomat to the United Nations on Aug. 1 cautioned against hasty optimism over negotiations with North Korea.
On the North's intentions behind its recent peace gestures, the official, speaking to reporters on the condition of anonymity, said Pyongyang hopes to "induce comments that recognize it as a nuclear state, or lead to interpretations as such, win recognition from many countries for a power succession, and draw investment or assistance amid economic difficulties."
He said he expects the North to use a typical tactic to draw a line between talks with the U.S. and relations with South Korea to maximize its gains. He emphasized the need for close coordination between Seoul and Washington.
"South Korea-U.S. coordination is relatively easy in a frosty, confrontational phase (with North Korea), but once dialogue begins, coordination between South Korea and the U.S. gets more important. That is now the situation," he said.
Toner at the State Department gave no clear answer when asked about the U.S. position on whether further inter-Korean talks are needed in the so-called second-stage denuclearization process.
South Korea and the U.S. have been pushing for a three-tiered approach -- inter-Korean dialogue, Pyongyang-Washington talks and then the six-way nuclear talks.
In Seoul on July 31, a South Korean official said the recent talks between North Korea and the U.S. in New York may not immediately resolve their differences but represent a positive "first step" toward more discussions, a South Korean official said Sunday.
The official said the Kim-Bosworth meeting was "an extension" of an earlier inter-Korean meeting during a regional security forum in Indonesia.
"I believe the mood (in New York) overall was positive," the official said on the condition of anonymity. "This meeting wasn't so groundbreaking that it will solve problems, but it was a first step toward more discussions between North Korea and the U.S."
The first formal dialogue between the two nations in 19 months followed rare inter-Korean dialogue on denuclearization in Bali, Indonesia, on July 22 on the sidelines of a regional security forum.
Wi Sung-lac, Seoul's top nuclear envoy, and Ri Yong-ho, his North Korean counterpart, agreed to work together to resume the stalled multilateral talks on ending the North's nuclear program "as soon as possible."
On additional meetings between Seoul and Pyongyang, or between Pyongyang and Washington, the South Korean official said he expected Kim Kye-gwan to make "a comprehensive decision" once he's back in North Korea.
"Our government will also coordinate with the U.S.," the official added. "Perhaps there will be a chance for a high-level meeting between Seoul and Washington sometime in August."
Asked if the U.S. urged the North to hold inter-Korean talks, the official said, "The U.S. basically wants to have both the inter-Korean dialogue and North-U.S. dialogue on table, and I am sure the North understood this clearly."
The official shot down rumors that Bosworth is about to travel to Pyongyang, and denied that there was an additional meeting between officials from the two Koreas in New York.
The official indicated that the U.S. will take its time to decide how to handle the recent turn of events, saying, "The U.S. is not trying to make quick progress."
He also said chances are low that the U.S. will offer food aid to the impoverished North anytime soon. Robert King, special U.S. envoy for the improvement of North Korea human rights, attended the second day of talks in New York.
King traveled to Pyongyang in late May to see if the reclusive regime needed imminent food aid, and his presence in the meeting fueled speculation about possible provision of food aid.
"I can't preclude that food aid may come up (in the New York meeting), but no decisions have been made about food aid," Toner said about an hour before the end of the talks.
He strongly indicated that the U.S. will take some time to decide whether to continue talks with the North.
"We're going to consult with our partners, certainly South Korea, but also our other six-party talk partners, and I think that we will assess the next steps following these meetings," he said.
In a Sept. 19, 2005, Joint Statement, the North agreed to abandon its nuclear weapons program in exchange for economic and political incentives.
But the six-party talks have been stalled due to Pyongyang's nuclear and missile tests in 2009 and U.N sanctions on the regime.
In July 2009, the North's No. 2 leader, Kim Yong-nam, told an international forum that the six-party talks had come to a permanent end.
Inter-Korean relations also worsened following the North's torpedo attack on a South Korean warship in March last year that killed 46 sailors. The North also launched an artillery attack on a western border island that killed two Marines and two civilians.
