ID :
34000
Fri, 12/05/2008 - 09:30
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/34000
The shortlink copeid
U.S. envoy hints at timeline deal over N. Korea
SINGAPORE, Dec. 4 Kyodo -
Top U.S. nuclear negotiator Christopher Hill hinted Thursday that a deal was
nearing with North Korea over a timeline for completing disablement of the
country's key nuclear facility.
But Hill, who met earlier in the day with his North Korean counterpart Kim Kye
Gwan, declined to discuss details of their conversation on ways to verify
Pyongyang's nuclear information, the source of the latest snag in the six-party
denuclearization talks.
The meeting between the U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and
Pacific affairs and the North Korean vice foreign minister was the most crucial
in a series of talks aimed at laying the groundwork for the multilateral
negotiations, expected to be held in Beijing next week.
The U.S. envoy said the two negotiators are scheduled to meet again on Friday
morning to wrap up their discussions.
Hill said he does not foresee a major problem in solving one of the two main
questions at the upcoming six-party talks, which is to set timelines for North
Korea's disablement of the Yongbyon nuclear complex and the delivery of energy
aid promised in exchange.
''It's not a big problem,'' he told reporters when asked about the timelines.
Under a key denuclearization-for-aid deal reached last year, North Korea is
taking steps that will make the Yongbyon complex, which can produce
weapons-grade plutonium, difficult to restart.
In exchange for the disablement steps as well as the providing of its nuclear
information, North Korea has been promised energy aid totaling 1 million tons
of heavy fuel oil.
Hill also said he had a ''good discussion'' with Kim over ways to check nuclear
information provided by North Korea, but declined to elaborate, saying that
full-fledged negotiations will be held in Beijing.
''We want to make sure we have enough specificity in a verification agreement
so that as we get on with verification...we don't have any unpleasant
surprises,'' Hill said.
''We had a good discussion about that,'' he added.
While the United States says North Korea earlier agreed to taking samples at
its nuclear sites, Pyongyang recently issued comments through its official
media saying that was not part of the deal between the two countries.
The chief nuclear negotiators of the two Koreas, the United States, China,
Japan and Russia are expected to try to put the verification steps in writing
when they meet in Beijing.
A flurry of diplomacy is taking place ahead of the six-party talks. Hill
arrived in Singapore from Tokyo, where he met with his Japanese and South
Korean counterparts.
The U.S. envoy is scheduled to fly to Seoul before traveling to Beijing, where
he will meet with Russian and Chinese representatives ahead of the six-way
negotiations.
North Korea's Kim said upon arrival in Singapore late Tuesday that his meeting
with Hill will try to reach agreements that will form a basis for discussions
at the multilateral talks.
==Kyodo
Top U.S. nuclear negotiator Christopher Hill hinted Thursday that a deal was
nearing with North Korea over a timeline for completing disablement of the
country's key nuclear facility.
But Hill, who met earlier in the day with his North Korean counterpart Kim Kye
Gwan, declined to discuss details of their conversation on ways to verify
Pyongyang's nuclear information, the source of the latest snag in the six-party
denuclearization talks.
The meeting between the U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and
Pacific affairs and the North Korean vice foreign minister was the most crucial
in a series of talks aimed at laying the groundwork for the multilateral
negotiations, expected to be held in Beijing next week.
The U.S. envoy said the two negotiators are scheduled to meet again on Friday
morning to wrap up their discussions.
Hill said he does not foresee a major problem in solving one of the two main
questions at the upcoming six-party talks, which is to set timelines for North
Korea's disablement of the Yongbyon nuclear complex and the delivery of energy
aid promised in exchange.
''It's not a big problem,'' he told reporters when asked about the timelines.
Under a key denuclearization-for-aid deal reached last year, North Korea is
taking steps that will make the Yongbyon complex, which can produce
weapons-grade plutonium, difficult to restart.
In exchange for the disablement steps as well as the providing of its nuclear
information, North Korea has been promised energy aid totaling 1 million tons
of heavy fuel oil.
Hill also said he had a ''good discussion'' with Kim over ways to check nuclear
information provided by North Korea, but declined to elaborate, saying that
full-fledged negotiations will be held in Beijing.
''We want to make sure we have enough specificity in a verification agreement
so that as we get on with verification...we don't have any unpleasant
surprises,'' Hill said.
''We had a good discussion about that,'' he added.
While the United States says North Korea earlier agreed to taking samples at
its nuclear sites, Pyongyang recently issued comments through its official
media saying that was not part of the deal between the two countries.
The chief nuclear negotiators of the two Koreas, the United States, China,
Japan and Russia are expected to try to put the verification steps in writing
when they meet in Beijing.
A flurry of diplomacy is taking place ahead of the six-party talks. Hill
arrived in Singapore from Tokyo, where he met with his Japanese and South
Korean counterparts.
The U.S. envoy is scheduled to fly to Seoul before traveling to Beijing, where
he will meet with Russian and Chinese representatives ahead of the six-way
negotiations.
North Korea's Kim said upon arrival in Singapore late Tuesday that his meeting
with Hill will try to reach agreements that will form a basis for discussions
at the multilateral talks.
==Kyodo
