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Representatives from nations in stalled negotiations on North Korea¡¯s nuclear program have stressed the importance of an impending seminar in Tokyo on the road to resolving the impasse. Unification Minister Lee Jong-seok on Thursday pointed to ¡°several occasions¡± in April that would offer an opportunity to work for a resumption of the six-party talks, especially the Northeast Asia Cooperation Dialogue (NEACD) that starts in Tokyo on April 9.
"It is highly likely that we will have dialogue about the issue at the Tokyo meeting, and I think this is the result of efforts made by many countries via various communication channels,¡± the minister said. The chief nuclear negotiators of the key participants including, crucially, North Korea, will attend the event.
North Korea¡¯s delegation head Kim Kye-gwan arrived in Beijing on Thursday en route to Tokyo. "We take the Tokyo meeting seriously,¡± the vice foreign minister told reporters.
The U.S.¡¯ chief negotiator Christopher Hill, South Korea's Chun Young-woo and Japan¡¯s Kenichiro Sasae will also be at the forum.
"It¡¯s true that there has been little positive development in the U.S.¡¯ North Korea policy, but we can¡¯t say that it is definitely going in a negative direction,¡± a high-ranking government official said. "Contacts are being made quietly behind the scenes.¡± The official said concrete results may take some time, but talks between North Korean and U.S. officials on Washington¡¯s financial sanctions against the North ¡°are a step in the right direction.¡± The U.S. accuses the North of circulating counterfeit dollars.
The official added ¡°the signs are out there¡± but no one is catching them because they are ¡°unsure whether they can resolve the issue by doing so.¡± He admitted one concern was that Pyongyang interprets Washington¡¯s protection of U.S. laws by way of the sanctions as pressure on the regime.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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