N. Korean leader says willing to resolve nuclear issue through talks

BEIJING, Sept. 18 Kyodo -
North Korean leader Kim Jong Il told a Chinese presidential envoy Friday that
Pyongyang is willing to resolve the denuclearization issue through ''bilateral
and multilateral talks,'' China's official Xinhua News Agency reported.
In his meeting with Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo in Pyongyang, Kim was
quoted by Xinhua as saying North Korea insists on denuclearization and tries to
maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.
He also expressed Pyongyang's willing to solve relevant problems through
bilateral or multilateral talks.
Kim's remarks appeared to leave open the possibility of North Korea returning
to the six-party talks on its denuclearization, which it quit in April. At the
same time, they underscored Pyongyang's desire to draw the United States into
bilateral dialogue.
North Korean officials earlier this year declared the six-party talks involving
China, North and South Korea, Japan, Russia and the United States to be
''dead.''
But the United States has said it is only willing to hold bilateral talks with
North Korea on the denuclearization issue within a multilateral context.
According to Xinhua, Chinese President Hu Jintao said in a letter handed to Kim
by Dai that Beijing would ''spare no effort'' to work with Pyongyang ''to
realize denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and to safeguard and promote
peace, stability and development of Northeast Asia.''
The Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim and Dai held talks ''in an
amicable atmosphere on the matter of invariably developing the friendly
relations between the two countries and a series of issues of mutual concern.''
It made no mention of the denuclearization issue being raised.
The meeting between Kim and Dai came amid regional diplomatic drives to bring
North Korea back to the six-party talks, while it followed Pyongyang's recent
conciliatory moves toward the United States and South Korea.
Dai held talks Thursday with North Korea's No. 2 leader Kim Yong Yam, president
of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly.
He was accompanied to Pyongyang by Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei, Beijing's
chief nuclear envoy, and other senior officials.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties
between the two governments.
==Kyodo