Second round of six-party talks begins in Beijing

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, February 25, 2004

Second round of six-party talks begins in Beijing

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Second round of six-party talks begins in Beijing (1)

The second round of six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue started in Beijing Wednesday morning.

Delegations from China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the United States, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Russia and Japan are attending the talks.

More than 30 journalists from major Chinese and foreign media were allowed into the guesthouse. Outside the venue, another 100-strong reporters are waiting.

Heads of delegations are: Wang Yi, Chinese vice foreign minister, Kim Kye-gwan, deputy foreign minister of the DPRK, James Kelly, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs of the United States, Lee Soo-Hyuck, the ROK's deputy minister of foreign affairs and trade, Alexander Losiukov, Russiandeputy foreign minister, and Mitoji Yabunaka, director-general of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau of the Japanese Foreign Ministry.

Second round of six-party talks begins in Beijing (2)

Wang Yi, Chinese vice foreign minister and head of the Chinese delegation, said that all sides of the six-party talks should show mutual respect and flexibility and narrow difference for the success of the talks on the nuclear issue.

All the six parties in the talks have agreed to solve the issue peacefully through dialogue in hopes of continuing the talks, said Wang, noting the upcoming talks might kick off discussion on substantial issues.

The current round of the talks will discuss "detailed goals," "the first-phase measures" for resolving the nuclear issue and study "ways to continue the talks process", he said.

The DPRK will adhere to principles while showing flexibility in the six-party talks, said delegation head, Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan, in the opening session of the six-party talks held in the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse.

Second round of six-party talks begins in Beijing

Kim said the second round of talks will chart the course for resolving the nuclear issue in the future and described the talks "an important opportunity".

Kim hoped sincere efforts made by all sides can produce "a positive result" in the second round of talks.

To this end, the DPRK delegation will adhere to principles while showing flexibility in accordance with the consistent stance adopted by the DPRK government, he said.

The relaunching of the six-party talks demonstrated the common aspiration of all sides to peacefully resolve the nuclear issue, he said.

Such aspiration itself forms the basis for the DPRK and the United States to maximally narrow the gap in stance and viewpoints for thawing deadlock, he said.

Kim also expressed gratitude to China's endurable efforts for relaunching the second round of talks.

The United States has no intention to attack the DPRK, said James Kelly, US assistant secretary of state and the US delegation head at the opening session of the six-party talks.

US President George W. Bush said last fall that the United States and other parties concerned will provide security guarantee to the DPRK and has no intention to invade or attack the DPRK, Kelly said, adding that it is still the policy of the United States.

The six-party talks are the most reliable diplomatic channel to promote the stability of the Korean Peninsula and to realize its denuclearization, he said.

Northeast Asia is a significant factor to world peace, stability and prosperity, and therefore the proliferation of the weapons of mass-destruction must be prevented, he said.

It is the stance of the United States that the DPRK should eliminate its nuclear programs in a complete, verifiable and irreversible way, said the US head of delegation.

The settlement of the nuclear issue would open the door to all bilateral issues among all sides, and open up the prospects for peace in northeast Asia and the whole world, he said.

Head of the Russian delegation and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losiukov said the resolution of the nuclear issue will be a long-drawn process and entails compromise and patience from all sides, and the Russian side wants to reiterate that the ultimate goal of the talks is to guarantee peace, security and cooperation on the basis of a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula.

Losiukov said at the opening ceremony that the Russian side is "discreetly optimistic" about the new round of talks.

"The Russian side wants to reiterate that the ultimate goal of the talks is to guarantee peace, security and cooperation on the basis of a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula," he said.

"We hope that the parties will reach concrete agreements to pave the way for further steps. Russia is ready to cooperate constructively with the other sides and make every effort possiblefor the talks to yield positive results," he said.

Head of the delegation from ROK and the ROK's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Lee Soo-Hyuck called on all parties to the second round of six-party talks to adopt an earnest and tolerant attitude to expand their consensus to realize denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula.

A nuclear-free Korean Peninsular will be achieved in the foreseeable future, said Lee. The consensus reached by all sides in the first round of six-party talks would be discussed as "a program" for resolving the nuclear issue, he said.

Should all sides hold an earnest and tolerant attitude and admit the existing differences can they expand common ground for scoring substantive progress in reaching to the goal of denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, he said.

Lee extended particular welcome to his DPRK counterpart Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan for attending the talks and thanked China's preparation for the talks.

"The eyes of the world are now on us," he said, noting that cautious forecast should overweight optimist anticipation.

He admitted there is still a gap for the goal all pursued and the reality they are facing. However, "all of our words and deeds will be recorded in history", he said.

Head of the Japanese delegation Mitoji Yabunaka said Japan is ready to make active contribution to achieving substantial progress of the talks, have conducive discussions with all relevant parties and welcome all proposals and opinions raised at the talks.

Yabunaka, director-general of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau of the Japanese Foreign Ministry, said in order to realize the goal of permanent and complete elimination of the nuclear program in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), it isvery important to make substantial progress in the six-party talks.

Japan strongly hopes the current round of talks takes big stride forward, he said, adding peaceful resolution of the nuclearissue of the Korean Peninsula is of great significance to realizing the overall peace and stability of Northeast Asia.

To this end, Japan has kept its stance unchanged that it is necessary to pass a package of resolution of the issue and comprehensively improve the relations between the DPRK and other relevant countries.

He said Japan and the DPRK should solve the existing problems between them through equal dialogues and realize normalization of bilateral relations.

Yabunaka said though the relevant parties have heavy tasks on their shoulders in the talks, they should not give in to the pressures. He called for the parties to have endurance and patience as grass enduring the severe winter and waiting to spout in the spring, eliminate distrust and division and push for actualresults of the talks.

He expressed thanks and admiration to the Chinese government for its efforts to push for the convention of the new round of six-party talks.

By People's Daily Online

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