ID :
34767
Wed, 12/10/2008 - 09:07
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/34767
The shortlink copeid
Envoys mull N. Korea verification draft, differences remain+
BEIJING, Dec. 9 Kyodo -
Negotiators from six nations hunkered down Tuesday over a draft of a document
on ways to verify North Korea's nuclear information, but differences remained
and some countries called for clearer or more precise language.
The draft presented by host China in the morning addressed the taking of
samples -- a contentious point with North Korea -- but used a different
expression, Japan's chief delegate to the talks said after the second day of
talks in Beijing.
''It was written using an expression very close'' to the word ''sampling,''
Akitaka Saiki, the head of the Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs
Bureau, told reporters.
''But we presented ideas for improvement, from the standpoint of making it
clearer and avoiding misunderstandings,'' Saiki said.
A major task for the envoys from the two Koreas, the United States, China,
Japan and Russia in the ongoing session is to draw up a protocol for checking
nuclear information provided by North Korea as part of a
denuclearization-for-aid deal.
China will try to accommodate the participants' views expressed Tuesday, and
negotiators will meet again on Wednesday morning, diplomats said.
Asked whether the meeting would be able to finalize the document by Wednesday
as planned, Saiki said, ''The outlook is severe.''
Kim Sook, South Korea's chief negotiator to the talks, also said there were
still gaps to bridge.
''There were various differences,'' the special representative for Korean
Peninsula peace and security affairs of the Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry
said, without elaborating on what they were.
''Our work is to coordinate this today and tomorrow,'' Kim said.
Differences remained ahead of the talks, especially over how to treat sampling
at North Korea's nuclear sites in the verification document.
Taking of liquid and swipe samples and their analysis at international
laboratories are considered an essential part of verifying nuclear programs.
The United States says it has an oral understanding with North Korea that the
taking of samples will be part of the verification regime. But Pyongyang has
issued comments through its official media saying that sampling was not part of
the agreement.
To try to smooth the way, top U.S. nuclear negotiator Christopher Hill and his
North Korean counterpart Kim Kye Gwan met in Singapore last week.
But Hill came away from the meeting saying more talks were needed. Diplomatic
sources say North Korea was still refusing to put the word sampling in writing
in the preparatory talks.
Hill said Tuesday that U.S. concerns were addressed in the Chinese-proposed
document, although the delegation also made comments on the draft.
''We're very concerned that...when we get to important stages of verification,
there is no confusion and there is no effort to hide any of the major issues,''
the assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs said.
''I think our comments were in the nature of trying to make it more precise,''
he said, while declining to discuss the specifics of the document or U.S.
comments on them.
South Korea's Yonhap News Agency, meanwhile, reported that the six parties were
basically agreed on how to express sampling in the document.
The report said there were differences over other points, without mentioning
what they were.
In their meeting Monday, the envoys had agreed in principle on the other task
of their meeting, which is to decide on a schedule for completing the
disablement of North Korea's key nuclear complex and the delivery of energy aid
promised in return.
Under the plan, energy assistance will be completed by the end of March.
But the deal would stand only if North Korea finishes disablement work by that
time, and if the six countries can agree on the verification protocol, South
Korea's Kim has said.
Under the denuclearization-for-aid deal, North Korea is currently disabling
facilities at the Yongbyon complex, which are capable of producing
weapons-grade plutonium.
In exchange for the disablement of the complex and the submitting of a list of
its nuclear programs, North Korea has been promised energy aid equivalent to a
total of 1 million tons of heavy fuel oil, the delivery of which has yet to be
completed.
==Kyodo
Negotiators from six nations hunkered down Tuesday over a draft of a document
on ways to verify North Korea's nuclear information, but differences remained
and some countries called for clearer or more precise language.
The draft presented by host China in the morning addressed the taking of
samples -- a contentious point with North Korea -- but used a different
expression, Japan's chief delegate to the talks said after the second day of
talks in Beijing.
''It was written using an expression very close'' to the word ''sampling,''
Akitaka Saiki, the head of the Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs
Bureau, told reporters.
''But we presented ideas for improvement, from the standpoint of making it
clearer and avoiding misunderstandings,'' Saiki said.
A major task for the envoys from the two Koreas, the United States, China,
Japan and Russia in the ongoing session is to draw up a protocol for checking
nuclear information provided by North Korea as part of a
denuclearization-for-aid deal.
China will try to accommodate the participants' views expressed Tuesday, and
negotiators will meet again on Wednesday morning, diplomats said.
Asked whether the meeting would be able to finalize the document by Wednesday
as planned, Saiki said, ''The outlook is severe.''
Kim Sook, South Korea's chief negotiator to the talks, also said there were
still gaps to bridge.
''There were various differences,'' the special representative for Korean
Peninsula peace and security affairs of the Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry
said, without elaborating on what they were.
''Our work is to coordinate this today and tomorrow,'' Kim said.
Differences remained ahead of the talks, especially over how to treat sampling
at North Korea's nuclear sites in the verification document.
Taking of liquid and swipe samples and their analysis at international
laboratories are considered an essential part of verifying nuclear programs.
The United States says it has an oral understanding with North Korea that the
taking of samples will be part of the verification regime. But Pyongyang has
issued comments through its official media saying that sampling was not part of
the agreement.
To try to smooth the way, top U.S. nuclear negotiator Christopher Hill and his
North Korean counterpart Kim Kye Gwan met in Singapore last week.
But Hill came away from the meeting saying more talks were needed. Diplomatic
sources say North Korea was still refusing to put the word sampling in writing
in the preparatory talks.
Hill said Tuesday that U.S. concerns were addressed in the Chinese-proposed
document, although the delegation also made comments on the draft.
''We're very concerned that...when we get to important stages of verification,
there is no confusion and there is no effort to hide any of the major issues,''
the assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs said.
''I think our comments were in the nature of trying to make it more precise,''
he said, while declining to discuss the specifics of the document or U.S.
comments on them.
South Korea's Yonhap News Agency, meanwhile, reported that the six parties were
basically agreed on how to express sampling in the document.
The report said there were differences over other points, without mentioning
what they were.
In their meeting Monday, the envoys had agreed in principle on the other task
of their meeting, which is to decide on a schedule for completing the
disablement of North Korea's key nuclear complex and the delivery of energy aid
promised in return.
Under the plan, energy assistance will be completed by the end of March.
But the deal would stand only if North Korea finishes disablement work by that
time, and if the six countries can agree on the verification protocol, South
Korea's Kim has said.
Under the denuclearization-for-aid deal, North Korea is currently disabling
facilities at the Yongbyon complex, which are capable of producing
weapons-grade plutonium.
In exchange for the disablement of the complex and the submitting of a list of
its nuclear programs, North Korea has been promised energy aid equivalent to a
total of 1 million tons of heavy fuel oil, the delivery of which has yet to be
completed.
==Kyodo
