ID :
207922
Mon, 09/19/2011 - 06:17
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/207922
The shortlink copeid
S. Korea's nuclear envoy to meet U.S. envoy on N. Korean human rights
SEOUL, Sept. 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's top nuclear negotiator will meet on Monday with Robert King, the visiting U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights, an official said, two days ahead of bilateral talks with North Korea aimed at discussing resuming the six-party talks on the North's nuclear programs.
King arrived in Seoul on Sunday for a four-day visit and is set to hold a meeting with Wi Sung-lac later Monday, a foreign ministry official said.
"The two sides are scheduled to hold discussions for some 30 minutes later in the day," the official said on the condition of anonymity, declining to elaborate further.
In what appears to be a fresh sign that efforts to reopen the stalled six-party denuclearization talks are making progress, Wi and his North Korean counterpart, Ri Yong-ho, will hold a second round of talks in Beijing on Wednesday, officials said.
The nuclear envoys from South and North Korea met in Indonesia in late July for the first time in more than two years, setting the tone for renewed diplomatic efforts to reopen the six-party talks, which also involve the U.S., China, Japan and Russia.
Since the July talks between Wi and Ri, Seoul and Washington have engaged in preliminary discussions with Pyongyang to gauge the possibility of restarting the six-party talks.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, during a rare summit on Aug. 24 with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, reportedly pledged to consider issuing a moratorium on nuclear testing and missile launches if the six-party talks resume.
South Korea and the U.S., however, have reacted coldly to the North's latest gesture, urging Pyongyang to announce such a moratorium and address concerns about its uranium enrichment program before the multilateral negotiations begin.
Also, Seoul and Washington insist that Pyongyang must allow U.N. inspectors to verify the suspension of its nuclear activities ahead of the resumption of the six-party talks.
King arrived in Seoul on Sunday for a four-day visit and is set to hold a meeting with Wi Sung-lac later Monday, a foreign ministry official said.
"The two sides are scheduled to hold discussions for some 30 minutes later in the day," the official said on the condition of anonymity, declining to elaborate further.
In what appears to be a fresh sign that efforts to reopen the stalled six-party denuclearization talks are making progress, Wi and his North Korean counterpart, Ri Yong-ho, will hold a second round of talks in Beijing on Wednesday, officials said.
The nuclear envoys from South and North Korea met in Indonesia in late July for the first time in more than two years, setting the tone for renewed diplomatic efforts to reopen the six-party talks, which also involve the U.S., China, Japan and Russia.
Since the July talks between Wi and Ri, Seoul and Washington have engaged in preliminary discussions with Pyongyang to gauge the possibility of restarting the six-party talks.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, during a rare summit on Aug. 24 with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, reportedly pledged to consider issuing a moratorium on nuclear testing and missile launches if the six-party talks resume.
South Korea and the U.S., however, have reacted coldly to the North's latest gesture, urging Pyongyang to announce such a moratorium and address concerns about its uranium enrichment program before the multilateral negotiations begin.
Also, Seoul and Washington insist that Pyongyang must allow U.N. inspectors to verify the suspension of its nuclear activities ahead of the resumption of the six-party talks.
