The North Korean chief nuclear negotiator Kim Kye-gwan and his U.S. counterpart Christopher Hill meet at the U.S. mission to the UN in Manhattan on Monday and Tuesday. They will kick-start working-level talks about normalizing bilateral diplomatic ties under a Feb. 13 agreement in six-nation talks. Kim arrived in New York on Friday. On Saturday, he attended an unofficial welcome luncheon hosted by organizations including the Korea Society, a New York-based nonprofit organization promoting friendship between the U.S. and South Korea, and the National Committee on American Foreign Policy (NCAFP). In the evening, Kim met his South Korean counterpart in the six-party talks Chun Young-woo, for a 50-minute discussion on how to conduct the working-group meetings.
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North Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan leaves his hotel in New York on Saturday. Kim is in the U.S. for talks on normalizing ties between the two countries. /REUTERS
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"We had an in-depth discussion on how to deal with the issues of economy and energy,¡± the working group South Korea chairs, Chun told reporters. ¡°I proposed what the North Korean delegation should bring to the meeting." He also said there was ¡°no room for doubt¡± of North Korea's will to carry out the initial steps under the agreement. ¡°Things have gone smoothly so far,¡± he added. In the six-party agreement, North Korea undertook to shut down and ¡°disable¡± the facilities and re-admit inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The U.S. and North Korea will prepare a list of matters for discussion to normalize their relations on Monday and Tuesday. The agenda will include removing North Korea from the U.S. list of states sponsoring terrorism and lifting U.S. economic sanctions under the Trading with the Enemy Act, as well as North Korea's illegal activities, including missiles and drug trading. Besides Hill, the U.S. side will include Victor Cha, the director of Asian affairs at the National Security Council. Kim leads a seven-member delegation including Kim Myong-gil, deputy chief of North Korea's UN mission.
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U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, right, shakes hands with Foreign Minister Song Min-Soon on Friday at the State Department in Washington./AP
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Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Song Min-soon met with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Washington. Song hinted at the possibility of Rice and Hill visiting North Korea. "North Korea and the U.S. will have negotiations on normalizing their relations, with several possibilities in mind,¡± he said. "From that point of view, the possibility of mutual visits is open." But he added nothing had so far been scheduled.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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