Third round of six-party talks begins in Beijing

The third round of six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue started in Beijing Wednesday, June 23, 2004.

The third round of six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue started in Beijing Wednesday, June 23.

Delegations of China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the United States, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Japan and Russia attended the talks and their delegation heads addressed at the opening ceremony.

China: Discussion to focus on two topics

The six-party talks have entered the stage of substantial discussion on specific topics, said Wang, and this round of talks will discuss in depth two substantial topics.

According to Wang, one topic is how to realize a nuclear weapon-free Korean Peninsula, including ways to abandon nuclear programs and solve the concerns of all parties.

The other topic is how to make the first step towards the nuclear weapon-free goal, including freezing of nuclear facilities and relevant steps taken by other parties.

Wang said that though all parties have different stances on these substantial topics, the opening of this new round of talks means that all parties want to seize the opportunity of peace, unwilling to see a Peninsula covered by the shadow of cold war.

All parties have shown their clear political willingness and flexible attitude on reaching consensus over the issue, which marks a first step towards solving the issue, said Wang.

Wang said that during the past year, the Chinese side initiated and continued the peaceful process of resolving the nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula, aiming to realize a peaceful and stable Peninsula.

Wang said though the peaceful process is confronted with many difficulties now, the parties concerned have jointly fixed the goal of a nuclear weapon-free Korean Peninsula, setting up channels of solving the issue and avoiding further worsening of the situation.

Wang said it is not an easy process to ease the situation, and therefore all parties should safeguard and treasure the results achieved through their joint efforts.

Wang said the Chinese side will make continuous efforts for the peaceful process of the nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula and further the cooperation with all parties concerned.

At the end of the opening ceremony, Wang also strongly condemned the killing of the hostage from the Republic of Korea (ROK) in Iraq, expressing his sorrow over the death and his condolences to the family of the victim.

Wang also condemned the terrorist attack in Russia, and expressed his welcome to the new head of the Russian delegation dispatched to the six-party talks.

US: determined to promote solving Korean Peninsula nuclear issue

Kelly, US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said at the opening ceremony of the third round of six-party talks that the common goal is to realize a nuclear weapon-free peninsula, which will help to ensure peace and safety in the peninsula and the region at large.

That will also help to promote relations between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the United States and the international community.

The diplomat said that the road to success is never smooth, and he urged all sides to focus on the common goals and how to reach those goals.

He appreciated China's contribution to the six-party talks and expressed condolences on the Korean hostage beheaded in Iraq and Russian casualties in a terrorist attack in the republics of Ingushetia and Dagestan.

DPRK: willing to abandon all nuclear weapon programs with conditions

Kim said it was the task of all parties to break the deadlock between the DPRK and the United States on the nuclear issue during the third round of the six-party talks.

He said the "freeze for compensation" program proposed by the DPRK delegation could break the deadlock between the United States and the DPRK as a result of distrust and differences.

As the DPRK's delegation clarified before, the goal of the DPRK was to build a nuclear weapon-free Korean Peninsula, said Kim.

The DPRK's nuclear programs were products of US hostility toward the DPRK, created for protecting itself and countering US nuclear threats, Kim said, stressing that the DPRK did not want to permanently possess nuclear weapons nor would it attack the United States with nuclear weapons.

Kim said the DPRK would make preparations to give up all its nuclear programs once the United States abandoned the hostile policies toward the DPRK with actions.

He added that the DPRK would like to hear something new from the US delegation and it would put forward concrete plans on freezing nuclear programs if the US party withdrew the CVID demand (complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement) and accepted the "freeze for compensation" program during the four-day talks.

ROK in a determined mind to solve Korean peninsula nuclear issue

that the ROK side was in a determined mind to fulfill the task of solving the Korean nuclear issue.

Lee called for the concerned parties to eliminate distrust and narrow differences and make progress in building a nuclear weapon-free Korean peninsula.

He said the ROK has sensed the strong wills of concerned parties to achieve a nuclear weapon-free status on the Korean peninsula through various means, and the ROK side hoped the third round of six-party talks could bear positive fruits.

"After two rounds of working group meetings and bilateral consultations between relevant parties, we feel our task is important and challenging, and we believe that a determined mind could fulfill the task," Lee noted.

ROK president Roh Moo-hyun once said, according to Lee, the solution of the Korean peninsula nuclear issue could help the ROK and Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to make full-ranging progress on establishing bilateral cooperation.

He expressed the wish that the solution of the issue would help create a permanent foundation for peace on the Korean peninsula and achieve the common prosperity of the ROK and the DPRK.

Lee expressed appreciation to China for hosting the six-party talks in Beijing.

Lee also strongly condemned terrorism after a ROK citizen was killed in Iraq, expressing his thanks to the delegation heads for their condolences on the tragedy.

Russia: nuclear weapon-free process must proceed within int'l law framework

Alexander Alexeyev, also special envoy of the Russian Foreign Ministry, said at the opening ceremony of the third round that since last August, the process of the six-party talks and the bilateral and multilateral exchanges had brought about positive results gradually.

As the third round of six-party talks began, the concerned parties fully understood each other's stance, and reached consensus that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) should free from nuclear weapons, he said.

The concerned parties also understood that it was necessary to provide a relevant guarantee for the DPRK, and to provide assistance, firstly energy assistance, for the DPRK's social and economic development, he added.

Setting up the working group was an important step towards the further establishment of the mechanism of the six-party talks, and the working group meeting achieved positive results, he said.

At the working group meeting, all concerned parties agreed that the established goals should be realized on the basis of carrying out equal dialogue and addressing each other's interests and concerns, he said.

The six-party talks had clearly seen a positive momentum, although the concerned parties still confronted certain difficulties, he said, adding that the established goals were right and accord with the interests of the concerned parties and the international community.

The Russian delegation will make constructive contribution to seeking a method acceptable for all concerned parties, so as to solve the nuclear issue completely, he said.

The Russian delegation hoped to achieve positive results in this round of six-party talks and to push forward the process of the talks, he said, noting that the Russian side was willing to make cooperation and exchanges with all concerned parties.

The first round of six-party talks was held last August in Beijing and the talks involve China, the DPRK, the United States, the Republic of Korea, Russia and Japan.

Japan expects substantial, comprehensive discussions

It had been ten months since the six-party talks were started last summer, said Mitoji Yabunaka, and whether this round of talks makes positive progress will test the credibility of this process itself, while facing nuclear development as the most pressing issue.

Mitoji Yabunaka, also Director-General of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau of the Japanese Foreign Ministry, said that this round of talks will be in the meantime a good opportunity and tough challenge for peacefully resolving the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue.

The six parties should not seal themselves off in a stalemate of mistrusting each other, but should make concerted efforts for resolving the issue, said Mitoji Yabunaka, and Japan will make positive contributions to this end.

The third round of six-party talks, involving China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the United States, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Russia and Japan, will run from Wednesday to Saturday.

Before the opening of the talks, Wang Yi had separate bilateral consultations Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning with the delegation heads from the other five countries.

During the bilateral consultations, they exchanged views on securing smooth talks, consolidating the achievements already made, broadening common grounds, and working for reaching a principled consensus on substantial issues. All the five parties said they would show flexibility and try to make progress in the six-party talks.