BEIJING - In the second general meeting of the second round of six-party talks in Beijing on Thursday, participating countries agreed in principle to write out a joint declaration and form working groups composed of associate representatives.
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Chief negotiators from South and North Korea, the United States, and Japan leave hotel to attend the second general meeting at the second round of six-party talk in Beijing. From the left, South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Lee Soo-hyuk, North Korean chief negotiator Kim Kye-gwan, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly, and Japanese chief negotiator Mitoji Yabunaka./Yonhap
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South Korea proposed that if North Korea makes clear its position to dismantle its entire nuclear program in a verifiable way and actually begins the dismantling of said programs, other participating states should provide energy assistance to the North, said South Korean chief negotiator Lee Soo-hyuk.
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Chinese State Counselor Tang Jiaxuan (center) greets the representatives of the six-party talk in Beijing¡¯s Diaoyutyai State Guesthouse on Thursday./Yonhap
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China and Russia have said that they would look positively into this proposal of supporting North Korea with energy aid while the United States and Japan showed signs of interest, Lee said. Moreover, Lee said that although North Korea has not specifically made their stand on this matter, North Korea knows through previous bilateral meetings that South Korea is trying to make an effort to settle the problem.
Participating countries also agreed to talk about specifics for freezing all nuclear activities and corresponding measures later in working group meetings, Lee said.
Meanwhile, the United States and North Korea tried to negotiate over the North's suspected highly enriched uranium program (HEU) and disposal plans for nuclear weapons, yet they could not narrow down their clashing opinions as the United States said "give up all plans for nuclear weapons first" while North Korea said "simultaneously compensate us for freezing our nuclear programs."
Relating to this, Japan¡¯s Asahi Shimbun, quoting an official at the six-party talks, reported that the United States was outraged upon hearing North Korea¡¯s keynote address when North Korea backed away from its original proposal to completely do away with its nuclear programs.
(Yeo Si-dong, sdyeo@chosun.com )
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