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The chief nuclear negotiators in talks on North Korea¡¯s nuclear program failed to agree Thursday on a timeframe for the Stalinist country to report and disable its nuclear facilities. On the second day of fresh six-party talks, participants also failed to agree when the other five will send the rest of the heavy fuel oil the North stands to receive as a reward.
A senior official close to the nuclear talks predicted they are unlikely to reach agreement in the current round given the complexity of the agendas. But he said the participants ¡°completed important basic discussions and agreed to set a timetable for the actions in the next round of talks.¡±
Pyongyang demanded the remaining 950,000 tons of heavy fuel oil it has been promised at a rate of 50,000 tons every month due to a shortage in storage facilities. But it failed to say what it will do in return for the reward.
South Korea's chief nuclear negotiator Chun Yung-woo expressed optimism that participants will not disagree on what ¡°disabling¡± means, noting that participants discussed the concept in the current round and North Korea¡¯s chief negotiator Kim Kye-kwan made ¡°positive¡± comments.
The atmosphere in the current round, at least, is different from the tension that pervaded previous meetings. But a government official cautioned that the atmosphere ¡°could sour any time depending on North Korea¡¯s attitude, even if they have surprised participants with how smoothly they have gone so far.¡± Another government official said the atmosphere has been good because participants focused on the bigger theme of disablement.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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