Nations convene six-talks in Beijing
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2004-02-25 11:50

North Korea, the United States, China and three other countries convened talks Wednesday to resolve a dispute over Pyongyang's nuclear program, with diplomats from all sides expressing expectations of progress in the 15-month old stalemate.

The United States reiterated that it had "no intention" of invading North Korea, and Pyongyang's top delegate called the talks "a very good opportunity" for progress.

"The United States seeks complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement of all North Korea's nuclear programs, both plutonium and uranium," Assistant U.S. Secretary of State James Kelly said in opening remarks.

Delegates put their hands together for a photo as they entered China's state guesthouse for the meetings. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi opened the meeting, greeting representatives of the Koreas, the United States, Russia and Japan.

The talks, months in the making, are the second round to include both Koreas, the United States, China, Russia and Japan. A first round in August, also held in Beijing, ended with little concrete progress and promises to meet again.

"The recent flurry of diplomacy is good preparation for these talks and helps in understanding," Wang told delegates and their assistants at a six-sided table.

North Korea's top delegate, Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan, sounded an optimistic note in opening statements.

"This is a very good opportunity for us to set goals for these negotiations," he said. "We are here to seek common ground. ... During this conference, I hope we will have a definite outcome from our efforts.

In December, North Korea proposed freezing its nuclear activities in return for economic aid and other concessions from the United States. But Washington demanded that Pyongyang start dismantling its nuclear programs first.

The North also wants a nonaggression treaty with the United States, but Kelly said it had nothing to worry about. "The United States has no intention of invading or attacking the DPRK," he said, using the initials for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Talks on the dispute, which is largely between North Korea and the United States, were convening after months of efforts to get all six countries on board. The previous six-party meeting, held in August, lasted three days by prior arrangement but ended with only promises to meet again. This time the parties set no time limit.

The United States pushed for an open-ended discussion so that the North Korean delegation could seek guidance from its government if deliberations should require it, said a U.S. official who asked not to be named.

President Bush once designated North Korea as a member of an international "axis of evil" with Iraq under Saddam Hussein and Iran. As this week's talks approached, the administration set aside belligerent rhetoric.

The latest meeting was brokered by China after months of shuttle diplomacy. China prescribed realistic expectations for the talks and said any long-term solution would probably require more time.

"The Chinese side hopes that consensus can be reached. But we don't believe it's possible to reach consensus on all issues," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said Tuesday.

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