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North Korea on Friday reportedly agreed in principle to halt operations at its main nuclear facility within two months under an agreement drafted by China. The key issue on the second day of renewed six-nation talks in Beijing was apparently whether North Korea will simply halt operations or shut down the facility. The U.S. wants the 5 MW graphite reactor at Yongbyon shut down, which would make it impossible to restart it within a month or two. But North Korea is said to be demanding a two-step process, first ¡°ceasing¡± operations and then shutting it down.
One source at the talks said the U.S., Japan, China, Russia and South Korea will decide on the kind, amount and timing of energy aid to North Korea, depending on the extent of the promised steps. NBC News reported quoting an unnamed U.S. official that Pyongyang demanded energy aid, a halt to Washington¡¯s financial sanctions and being taken off the list of states supporting terrorism.
Although the countries have yet to decide how much of the aid each will contribute, there is reportedly consensus that they will share the burden. North Korea has not said what type of energy it needs but is widely expected to ask for heavy oil shipments, which can be used immediately. That would produce effectively the same conditions as the 1994 Geneva Accords. In a potential complication for the cost-sharing negotiations, Japan has already said it will not pitch in unless the issue of North Korea¡¯s abductions of Japanese citizens is resolved.
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U.S. chief negotiator to six-party talks Christopher Hill (right) and his North Korean counterpart Kim Kye-gwan./Reuters-Yonhap
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The participants are discussing China¡¯s proposal to form working-level groups to tackle specific items in the Sept. 2005 statement of principles whereby the North agreed to scrap its nuclear program for aid and diplomatic recognition. One official involved in the talks said working-level groups could tackle five issues, including dismantling the nuclear program, economic and energy aid, and a peace framework for the Korean Peninsula in the context of Northeast Asian security cooperation. China proposed regular working-level talks separately from the six-party negotiations. North Korea and other participating countries have apparently not rejected that idea, but differences over the topics and which countries will participate remain wide. One South Korean government official said it will take time to come up with an agreement that satisfies everyone. The six-party talks will continue Saturday with both multilateral and bilateral meetings.
Chief U.S. negotiator Christopher Hill and his North Korean counterpart Kim Kye-gwan met for a head-to-head at a hotel restaurant near the talks venue after multilateral negotiations ended on Friday. ¡°I think we can be cautiously optimistic,¡± Hill said after the talks. ¡°The only issue is which issues could be brought into the February draft and which elements will have to wait until a March or an April process." Kim, who emerged from the back door of the hotel after the meeting, said: "There are still differences on a series of issues in the overall talks, so we will try to work them out.¡± He quoted the words of U.S. State Secretary Condoleezza Rice, saying, ¡°You should not try to count the chickens before they hatch, as somebody said.¡±
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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