Moscow Criticizes Washington's Unwillingness to Hold Direct Dialog with Pyongyang

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, April 15, 2003

Moscow Criticizes Washington's Unwillingness to Hold Direct Dialog with Pyongyang

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Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov criticized the United States on Monday for its unwillingness to hold direct talks with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on the nuclear crisis.

"The United States would prefer to stand aside, taking part in negotiations led by a group of countries. The approach is unpromising, and we will not do it," Interfax quoted Losyukov as saying

Losyukov said Russia could aid in settling the crisis if the United States shows "a real readiness to negotiate".

Moscow had expressed its willingness to help for numerous times,"yet we have not received a pragmatic answer from America," said the minister.

The nuclear crisis broke out last October when Washington said the DPRK had admitted to running a secret nuclear program in breach of a 1994 bilateral accord.

The US suspended fuel deliveries to the DPRK. In response, the DPRK announced its withdrawal from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in January and later reactivated a nuclear reactor for purpose of generating electricity.

To resolve the crisis, Pyongyang has preferred holding bilateral talks and signing a non-aggression treaty with the United States, thus guaranteeing its security and sovereignty.

Russia has been trying to arrange direct talks between the DPRK and the United States. However, Washington has rejected such negotiations, insisting on dealing with the DPRK nuclear issue within a multilateral framework, in which the DPRK, the United States, South Korea, Russia, China and Japan could hold dialogues.

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