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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, February 26, 2004

Six-party talks seek more common ground

Six parties involved in the talks on the nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula found "some consensus, though differences remained" at the end of the first day, the Chinese host said Wednesday in Beijing.


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After half a year of of shuttle diplomacy, envoys from six states seeking to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue opened talks in Beijing Wednesday morning.

The delegates from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), South Korea, the United States, China, Russia and Japan, took their places at a hexagonal table and one after the other outlined their positions.

In the opening remarks, China's vice foreign minister Wang Yi said: "All sides now expect to discuss concrete problems and score concrete results in the second round of talks, and the current round of talks will discuss detailed goals, the first-phase measures for resolving the nuclear issue and study ways to continue the talks process."

US Assistant Secretary of State and the US delegation Head James Kelly reiterated that the United States has "no intention" to attack the DPRK, while DPRK top negotiator Kim Kye-gwan described the talks as "an important opportunity" for progress.

U.S.President George W. Bush said last fall that the United States and other parties concerned will provide security guarantee to the DPRK and has no intention to invade or attack the DPRK, Kelly said, adding that it is still the policy of the United States.

"The United States seeks complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement of all North Korea's nuclear programs, both plutonium and uranium," Assistant Kerry added.

DPRK's Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan said the second round of talks will chart the course for resolving the nuclear issue in the future. To this end, the DPRK will adhere to principles while showing flexibility in the six-party talks.

Kim hoped sincere efforts made by all sides can produce "a positive result" in the second round of talks.

"The relaunching of the six-party talks demonstrated the common aspiration of all sides to peacefully resolve the nuclear issue, " he said.

"We hope that disagreement between each party can be narrowed as much as possible and the stalemate between North Korea and the United States can be resolved through dialogue."

Other involving countries also express their stance at the opening session.

Head of the South Korean delegation, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Lee Soo-Hyuck, called on all parties to adopt an earnest and tolerant attitude to expand their consensus to realize denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula.

Head of the Japanese delegation Mitoji Yabunaka said Japan is ready to make active contribution to achieving substantial progress of the talks, have conducive discussions with all relevant parties and welcome all proposals and opinions raised at the talks.

Head of the Russian delegation and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losiukov said the resolution of the nuclear issue will be a long-drawn process and entails compromise and patience from all sides, and the Russian side wants to reiterate that the ultimate goal of the talks is to guarantee peace, security and cooperation on the basis of a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula.

The first session ended early Wednesday afternoon with no immediate statement of progress.

Six parties seek more common ground
Six parties involved in the talks on the nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula found "some consensus, though differences remained" at the end of the first day, the Chinese host said Wednesday in Beijing.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told reporters after a first day of discussions that all six parties agreed that "taking action" is the best way to establish trust.

The talks involve China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the United States, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Russia and Japan.

Delegates to the negotiations have been "earnest, practical and frank" in their speeches, said Liu, saying the second round of talks had entered a stage of "substantial discussions."

At the start of Wednesday's talks, the DPRK and the United States, the two major parties briefed the others on their positions which were interpreted by analysts as "softening though with firm lines."

The United States delegate demanded a "complete, irreversible and verifiable dismantlement'' of the DPRK's nuclear weapons programmes.

The United States will "seek a complete, verifiable dismantlement of all of the DPRK's nuclear programmes, both the plutonium- and uranium-based weapons,'' said chief US delegate James Kelly in his open remarks which were broadcast live worldwide.

Meanwhile, Kelly reminded the diplomats gathered in Beijing of a promise made by US President George W. Bush that "the United States is prepared to join with other parties in providing security assurances to the DPRK" and made clear it has no intention of "invading or attacking the DPRK."

Declaring this week's meeting will decide the future of six-party talks, Kim Kye-kwan, head of the DPRK delegation said his country will show "flexibility while maintaining principled positions.''

Economic aid is a key in Pyongyang demands for its freezing and then dismantling its nuclear programmes while Washington has said a freeze is not enough. Washington has asked the DPRK to first dismantle "all'' its nuclear programmes.

Some leading Korean studies experts in Asia have criticized the Bush administration's stance.

Fan Jishe, an international relations specialist with the government think-tank, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said he is worried that if the US administration's main goal is to isolate the DPRK or to change its government it is a dangerous strategy for the Bush government in the region.

"As far as the DPRK is concerned, nothing can jeopardize its supreme national security than being labeled as an 'axis of evil'," Fan said.

However, Fan added, the DPRK should recognize that its security cannot be enhanced even if it develops or possesses nuclear weapons.

Analysts believe the DPRK has been considering taking some additional actions. DPRK diplomats held informal talks this month in Vienna with officials from the UN nuclear watchdog on a possible resumption of inspections of the country's nuclear complex at Yongbyon, Japan's Kyodo news agency said on Tuesday.

This was the first reported contact between the DPRK and the International Atomic Energy Agency since inspectors were asked to leave in December 2002.

Liu said Wednesday China opposed the practice of sanctions, blockades and pressure on the issue. China is even more opposed to the use of threats or force.

Liu said such issues as the realization of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the elimination of the rational security concerns of DPRK should be linked to a reasonable solution.

Liu said Vice-Foreign Minister Wang Yi had explained China's principled stance of working to maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

Wang, head of the Chinese delegation, said Wednesday China agrees the concerns of all parties need to be addressed through co-ordinated steps.

At this round, Wang said the parties would discuss how to identify the specific objectives in resolving the nuclear issue, explore measures to be taken in the first phase to resolve the nuclear issue, and study ways to continue the process of the talks.

He said China always hoped the matter would be solved through dialogue and peaceful means.

"We come to the talks to expand our common ground rather than to highlight our differences, and we come to solve rather than to worsen problems," Wang pledged.

Positive signals appeared Wednesday. The DPRK and the US delegations held a two-and-a-half-hour bilateral meeting Wednesday afternoon -- possibly the longest and highest-level formal contact since the standoff began in October 2002.

In the first round six-party talks last August, the two sides had an informal meeting.

Also Wednesday, ROK chief negotiator Lee Soo-hyuck hoped that despite conflicting positions, participants would try to find specific ways of resolving the dispute.

Japanese and Russian delegates also made similar calls and expressed gratitude for China's preparations for the talks.

Source: China Daily/Agencies


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