Participants comment on second round six-party talks

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, March 02, 2004

Participants comment on second round six-party talks

The second round of the six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue ended Saturday afternoon with the six sides reaching consensus on setting up a working group and on the next round of talks.

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DPRK: settlement of nuclear issue depends on US attitude

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Sunday expressed disappointment over the United States' stand in the second round of six-party talks on the nuclear issue of the DPRK that ended in Beijing on Saturday.

"The United States did not show any stand to co-exist with the DPRK but persistently pursue its policy of isolating and stifling the DPRK," a spokesman of the DPRK's Foreign Ministry told the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

"We had expected that a frank discussion on ways of seeking a solution to the nuclear issue between the DPRK and the United States (in the second round of six-party talks) would open a certain prospect of settling the issue, so we showed the willingness in the talks to scrap our nuclear program according to a proposal for a simultaneous package solution aiming to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula," said the spokesman.

"But the United States again insisted on its old stand (in the talks) that unless the DPRK first abandons the nuclear program completely, verifiably and irreversibly should the Untied States discuss the issues concerned by the DPRK," he added.

He said the head of US delegation "only read the prepared script, showing no sincerity and giving no answers even to the questions raised."

"In spite of this situation we yet consented to open the next round of the six-party talks and organize a working group to seek a peaceful solution to the nuclear issue through dialogue at any cost, " said the spokesman.

"The settlement of the nuclear issue will entirely depend on the change of the United States' attitude," the spokesman said, noting that it would be "difficult to expect that any further talks would be helpful to the solution to the issue" unless the such a change occurs.

US "welcomes" talk results

The six-party talks currently held in Beijing have been useful, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said at a news briefing on Friday. "We have found the talks to be useful," Boucher said.

"The talks indeed are going on," Boucher said, and "we think it has been useful to have this series of meetings."

Boucher reiterated the US position concerning the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

"We have made clear the US position is that this needs to be done in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner. It needs to include all aspects of nuclear weapons programs in North Korea," he said.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell declared on Thursday that the six-party talks had been positive.

"The results of the first two days' meeting are positive," Powell said at a hearing of the Senate Budget Committee.

"There is a positive attitude. There is a promising attitude that is emerging from those meetings, and hopefully we can move in the right direction there," Powell said.

The just-concluded second round of the six-party talks on the Korean nuclear issue was "very successful", said a senior official of the United States in Beijing.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said China was not only a "participant", but also a "facilitator", and has done an "exceptional job."

ROK: foundation laid for future talks

Through the second round of six-party talks in Beijing all sides participated for the first time published a written document "Chairman's statement", and the talks this time is successful and satisfactory, said ROK delegation head Lee Soo-Hyuck, ROK's deputy minister of foreign affairs and trade.

Lee made the remarks after returning from Beijing to Seoul on February 29, saying wide discussions are conducted on the three principles on the abandon of nuclear program, namely "complete, verifiable and irreversible" as well as "corresponding measures to nuclear freeze". ROK proposed concrete schemes on freezing the nuclear program and compensation measures. The second round talks laid foundation for further progress in future negotiations, said Lee.

Japan: understanding among six parties deepened

Japanese head delegate Mitoji Yabunaka returned home on February 29 after the end of the second round of six party talks in Bejijing, and briefed the talk results Japan's foreign minister Yoriko Kawaguchi and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda respectively.

In his report Mitoji Yabunaka stressed two points. First, participants to the talks this time published "Chairman's statement", reach the common goal of the denuclearlization of the Korean Peninsula, and set the next round before the end of June this year. Parties concerned will set up a working group to prepare for the next round of talks. Second, regarding the "kidnap issue", DPRK agreed to continue negotiations between governments, convey Japan's demand to DPRK government and reply in "a proper way".

Mitoji Yabunaka later told reporter that the next round set before June can be called a further step. Yasuo Fukuda also told a press conference that during four days countries involved conducted frank discussions, further deepened understanding among the six countries. DPRK side expressed at many occasions sincerity to continue talks on the kidnap issue, and we should also work hard to solve the problem.

Japanese media lodged positive comments on the second round talk results, saying the country is facing two tasks. One is to continue to stick to the principle of Korean Peninsula denuclearlization, join hands with the US and ROK and force DPRK to abandon its nuclear program completely. The other is to seize opportunity, realize the next round of governmental talks with DPRK as soon as possible so as to let families of the kidnapped return home.

Russia: DPRK proposal a "good suggestion"

Russian deputy foreign minister Alexander Losiukov pointed out on February 29 that DPRK's proposal to freeze its nuclear program is a "good suggestion" and a "constructive step". DPRK also looks forward to response to the suggestion, he stressed.

Losiukov made the remarks after attending the second round of six-party talks in Beijing as head of Russia delegation. Earlier he said that the talks this time, although failed to achieve breakthroughs, made a certain progress. The result is just as Russia expected beforehand, meaning time is not yet mature for solving the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue. DPRK prepares to freeze its nuclear program as a stage before reaching the final goal and the United States prepares to conduct construction negotiations over detailed questions. The two points can be viewed as new content in DPRK and US stances. Responding to DPRK's suggestion to freeze nuclear program, the United States should have displayed more flexibility, Losiukov said, but added he respects the current US stand.

Russia hopes a certain change would occur during the next round of talks, turning from exchanging principles to discussing concrete questions, said Losiukov, such as how to make DPRK to abandon its nuclear program and in what way to provide security guarantee to the country. Russia pays high attention to the working group that to be set up, and is ready to send 7 to 10 persons to attend the work, including both diplomats and nuclear experts.

China briefs on chairman's statement, working group

That all sides seek a peaceful solution to the issue, they are ready to take coordinated steps and the third round of talks will be held before the end of June this year are the main messages the chairman's statement wants to convey.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister and Delegation Head Wang Yi Saturday briefed a press conference on the major content of the chairman's statement that has been passed on the second round of six-party talks on the Korean nuclear issue.

He said attention should not be put on why the document has come out as a chairman's statement rather than a communique, since that is merely an issue of format, and the content is the same.

Wang said the six parties have had in-depth discussions and the document has finally come out in the format of a chairman's statement after pooling in the sides' consensus and getting their acknowledgment.

As to the issue of forming a working group, Wang said that is a major progress of the talks, and China will consult with other five sides through diplomatic channels for an early settlement of the issues of who will sit in the group and its operating mechanism.

By People's Daily Online

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