US welcomes DPRK statement on dialogue

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, July 27, 2002

US welcomes DPRK statement on dialogue

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The United States on Friday welcomed a statement from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on the resumption of dialogues between the two countries but insisted that it had not yet made a decision on the issue.

"We consider these to be positive developments. ... We hope these statements indicate a new attitude on the part of North Korea (DPRK)," a State Department official said on condition of anonymity.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the DPRK said that "the issue of dispatching the special envoy was canceled, ... but if the US side intends to send a special envoy in future, ... the DPRK will respond to it from a consistent stand."

"We will continue to review our policy and options in light of these developments, in close coordination with our allies South Korea and Japan," he added.

Saying that the US will maintain contacts with the DPRK throughits mission to the United Nations in New York, the official noted that "we have made no decisions regarding a US delegation to visitNorth Korea (DPRK) or a meeting in Brunei."

The official was referring to media speculations that US Secretary of State Colin Powell and DPRK Foreign Minister Paek Nam-sun might meet during their presence at the annual meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum scheduled tobe held in Brunei next week.

Washington proposed in June to send US Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly to Pyongyang to resume high-level dialogues between the two countries which were suspended since the Bush administration assumed office in January 2001.

The US withdrew the proposal following a naval clash between the DPRK and South Korea last month.

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