ID :
33884
Thu, 12/04/2008 - 16:00
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/33884
The shortlink copeid
'Art of negotiation' needed to put nuke sampling in writing: minister
By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, Dec. 4 (Yonhap) -- North Korea and its five dialogue partners at the nuclear talks should first "acknowledge" the need for sampling to check the accuracy of Pyongyang's recent nuclear claims, and how the common understanding will be put in writing hinges on "art of negotiations," South Korea's foreign minister said Thursday.
Yu Myung-hwan also said that North Korea has agreed to join the six-way talks
expected to resume in Beijing next Monday, although host China has yet to
announce a schedule.
"As all the six parties consented to the opening of the talks on Dec. 8, I expect
them to be held as scheduled," the minister said in his monthly press briefing.
"In that sense, I think North Korea will have a lot of political burden."
He was responding to whether the results of the meeting between the chief North
Korean and U.S. nuclear negotiators in Singapore will affect the schedule for the
six-way talks also involving Russia and Japan.
The North's Kim Kye-gwan and his American counterpart Christopher Hill began
negotiations at the U.S. embassy in Singapore earlier Thursday, according to
embassy officials there.
Yu said that whether outside inspectors will be allowed to take samples from the
North's nuclear facilities is the "most difficult" part of the Singapore talks.
"I expect the two side to make utmost efforts to produce a compromise since there
will be huge political burden if the talks fail, with the next Obama
administration supporting the six-way talks," the minister said.
Producing a verification protocol is the number one goal in the upcoming round of
six-way talks. Washington insists that sampling be guaranteed while Pyongyang is
strongly opposed to it.
"First of all, how the six parties reach a common understanding on the issue _
namely acknowledge the need for sampling _ and how it will be documented will
have to be left to the art of negotiations," Yu said.
He added the verification protocol, if agreed at the six-way talks, will be made
public.
SEOUL, Dec. 4 (Yonhap) -- North Korea and its five dialogue partners at the nuclear talks should first "acknowledge" the need for sampling to check the accuracy of Pyongyang's recent nuclear claims, and how the common understanding will be put in writing hinges on "art of negotiations," South Korea's foreign minister said Thursday.
Yu Myung-hwan also said that North Korea has agreed to join the six-way talks
expected to resume in Beijing next Monday, although host China has yet to
announce a schedule.
"As all the six parties consented to the opening of the talks on Dec. 8, I expect
them to be held as scheduled," the minister said in his monthly press briefing.
"In that sense, I think North Korea will have a lot of political burden."
He was responding to whether the results of the meeting between the chief North
Korean and U.S. nuclear negotiators in Singapore will affect the schedule for the
six-way talks also involving Russia and Japan.
The North's Kim Kye-gwan and his American counterpart Christopher Hill began
negotiations at the U.S. embassy in Singapore earlier Thursday, according to
embassy officials there.
Yu said that whether outside inspectors will be allowed to take samples from the
North's nuclear facilities is the "most difficult" part of the Singapore talks.
"I expect the two side to make utmost efforts to produce a compromise since there
will be huge political burden if the talks fail, with the next Obama
administration supporting the six-way talks," the minister said.
Producing a verification protocol is the number one goal in the upcoming round of
six-way talks. Washington insists that sampling be guaranteed while Pyongyang is
strongly opposed to it.
"First of all, how the six parties reach a common understanding on the issue _
namely acknowledge the need for sampling _ and how it will be documented will
have to be left to the art of negotiations," Yu said.
He added the verification protocol, if agreed at the six-way talks, will be made
public.
