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Six-Party Talks set to resume next week
By Hu Xiao (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-09-09 05:53
The Six-Party Talks aimed at ending the nuclear stand-off on the Korean
Peninsula will resume on Tuesday in Beijing, the Foreign Ministry announced
yesterday.
The second phase of the fourth round of the talks will
begin after consultations with related parties, ministry spokesman Qin Gang
said.
The representatives from the six countries
involved in six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear program hold hands as
the meeting officially begins in Beijing July 26, 2005.
[Reuters] |
The parties are China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the
United States, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Russia and Japan.
At the first phase of talks, held in late July and early August, the
participating countries agreed to open the second phase on the week of August
29.
Qin did not explain the reason for the two-week delay, but stressed that any
decision could be made only after all related parties reached consensus.
At the end of the first phase, the parties reached an understanding on the
need to refrain from saying or doing anything obstructive to the resumption of
the talks during the recess.
However, Pyongyang claimed that Washington "insulted its dialogue partner" by
holding a military exercise, known as "Ulji Focus Lens-05," with the ROK, and
claimed it was targeted against the DPRK.
The US also reportedly appointed "a presidential envoy for the human rights
issue of North Korea."
"We hope that all related parties can seize this opportunity in a spirit of
mutual respect to find a solution through negotiation that takes into
consideration the concerns and interests of all parties and is acceptable to
all," Qin said.
The second phase of the talks, like the first, will keep an open-ended
timetable in the hope of striving for more progress. "The ending date of the
talks will be decided by all concerned parties according to the results of their
consultations," Qin said.
"The process of denuclearization is difficult and complicated. We cannot
expect to solve all the problems in just several rounds of talks, but we are not
pessimistic."
As long as the six parties can proceed from the principle of denuclearization
and the maintenance of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, show
flexibility and take a pragmatic attitude in discussing related issues, progress
can be achieved step by step, Qin said.
ROK Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon indicated on Wednesday that the second phase
would see tough negotiations. He said Seoul would make its best efforts to
produce an agreement in the talks but admitted difficulties in producing any
quick breakthrough, as it would require all six parties to agree.
The US side will be prepared to work to make progress in the coming
discussions, US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said at a daily
briefing on Tuesday.
Pyongyang and Washington, the main players in the talks, still differ on the
scope of the nuclear disarmament.
The US side insists that the DPRK should give up all nuclear programmes,
including one for civilian purposes. The DPRK has vowed not to abandon its right
to pursue peaceful nuclear activities to generate energy.
In another development, the ROK wants the DPRK to be invited to future
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Finance Ministers' Meetings if there is
substantial progress at the Six-Party Talks.
Addressing finance ministers at the APEC forum yesterday, ROK Finance
Minister Han Duck-soo said: "I suggest inviting non-members of the Asia-Pacific
region to the APEC Finance Ministers' Meetings as special guests.
"On condition that there is significant progress at the ongoing Six-Party
Talks, I think we could consider North Korea (the DPRK) to be our first guest."
Agencies contributed to the story
(China Daily 09/09/2005 page1)
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