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Rice to meet South Korean FM next week
(AFP)
Updated: 2005-08-18 09:32

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will meet with her South Korean counterpart Ban Ki-Moon in Washington next week to discuss efforts to halt North Korea's nuclear program, officials said, reported AFP.

US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the South Korean foreign minister would confer with Rice on Tuesday, the week before six-party talks on Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions were due to resume in Beijing.

"They will be discussing a number of issues regarding the six-party talks," McCormack said, without giving details. He was unable to confirm reports that Ban had met with Undersecretary for Arms Control Robert Joseph.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (L) and South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-Moon are seen here in March 2005. Rice and Ban will meet in Washington next week to discuss efforts to halt North Korea's nuclear program, officials said(AFP/File)
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (L) and South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-Moon are seen here in March 2005. Rice and Ban will meet in Washington next week to discuss efforts to halt North Korea's nuclear program, officials said. [AFP/File]
The six-nation negotiations recessed on August 7 with the parties unable to reach agreement on a statement of principles. A major stumbling block was North Korea's insistence in maintaining a civilian nuclear program.

Washington flatly rejects the idea but South Korea has been more flexible, suggesting the door to North Korea's peaceful use of atomic energy would be "open" if it scrapped its bid for nuclear weapons.

McCormack signaled little give in the US position on Wednesday, saying that chief US negotiator Christopher Hill "has made our views clear now and I have made our views clear and they are unchanged."



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