North Korea, United States show signs of potential flexibility
The United States and North Korea appeared to be maneuvering towards greaterflexibility in the 16-month stand-off over Pyongyang's nuclear program, asdiplomats from six countries arrived in Beijing ahead of a second round oftalks on the crisis, RFA reports.
South Korean deputy foreign minister Lee Soo-hyuck told reporters beforeflying to Beijing that U.S. envoy James Kelly had responded positively toproposals made at preliminary talks in Seoul that North Korea first freezeits nuclear program, then abolish it while allowing verification.
"If such conditions are enforced, the United States has no strong objectionto a North Korean nuclear freeze," said Lee Soo-hyuck said after talks withKelly and Mitoji Yabunaka, Japan's chief negotiator at the six-party talks,which begin in Beijing Wednesday.
Washington had previously insisted on an explicit acknowledgment of NorthKorea's uranium program as part of an agreement to a complete and verifiabledismantling of its weapons programs, before it is offered aid and securityguarantees. That Pyongyang has a plutonium program is already widelyacknowledged.
Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said North Korea appeared to bepreparing for a softening of its hard line stance ahead of the talks. Hesaid North Korean officials had suggested during a visit by an Australiandelegation to Pyongyang three weeks ago that they would be prepared to windup their country's nuclear program in return for a security guarantee.
"I think the North Koreans realize that continuing down the path of ignoringthe wishes of the international community ultimately isn't going to get themanywhere," Downer said."Secondly I think they realize that just a freeze on their nuclearactivities isn't going to be enough, that they will have to wind back theirnuclear activities. That's what they told our officials and that'sencouraging," he said.
The first round of China-brokered six-party talks in August 2003 ended withno substantive changes, apart from an agreement in principle to meet again.The past six months have seen a flurry of diplomatic activity�particularlyon the part of Beijing�aimed at setting up a second round.
The Russian, American, and Japanese delegations arrived Monday, and the Northand South Koreans were due on separate flights Tuesday morning.
As the delegations began to arrive, eight people identifying themselves asNorth Korean asylum seekers entered a German embassy school in BeijingMonday. The Chinese authorities have put barbed wire fencing and armedguards around buildings in the city's diplomatic district to discouragesimilar bids.
South Korea closed its consulate in Beijing last year to cope with about 130asylum seekers who had taken refuge in the mission. As many as 300,000 NorthKoreans are believed to be in hiding in northeastern China, hoping forpassage to a third country. Hundreds of North Koreans fleeing hunger andrepression at home have been allowed to leave China for the rival Southafter seeking refuge at embassies and other foreign offices.
Beijing, a close ally of Pyongyang, has an agreement with its fellowcommunist neighbour to repatriate North Koreans, whom it views as economicmigrants rather than refugees, but it has let some North Koreans reach SouthKorea through third countries.#####