12 September 2003 06:30
North Korea reportedly agrees to further six-way talks in November
Moscow, 12 September: North Korea has agreed in principle to hold a second round of six-nation talks in Beijing in
early November to discuss its nuclear weapons programme. Diplomatic sources in Moscow said the North Korean government
has given the consent to Russia and others involved in the talks. The first round of six-nation talks took place in
Beijing in late August, and since then Pyongyang has avoided taking provocative action against the United States or
other countries involved.
To the apparent relief of Washington and others concerned of North Korea's nuclear ambitions, North Korea marked
its 55th founding anniversary on Tuesday [9 September] without putting its ballistic missiles on parade nor did it use
the occasion to declare itself a nuclear weapons state. In addition, Pyongyang has halted operations at the nuclear
reprocessing facility in the Yongbyon nuclear complex. North Korea's agreement to set a date for the next round of
nuclear talks is evidently consistent with these developments.
In addition, the North Korean move suggests that Pyongyang sees the next round of six-nation talks as a crucial phase
and it is likely that Pyongyang is watching what Washington will do next. With a summit meeting of Asian-Pacific
Economic Cooperation (APEC) due in Bangkok in late October, the Russian government is working behind the scenes with
China and others to nail down the date of the next round of six-nation talks when the leaders from Russia, the United
States, China, Japan and South Korea gather in Bangkok for the APEC summit.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent a personal letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, urging him to abide
by the six-nation agreement in Beijing last month and not take any measures that could aggravate the situation such as
declaring North Korea a nuclear weapons state, diplomatic sources said. The Putin letter was delivered to Kim by
Konstantin Pulikovskiy, Putin's representative to the Russian Far East, when he was invited to Pyongyang to attend
North Korea's national day festivities.
Among other Russian dignitaries who was in North Korea for the national day festivities was Dmitriy Yazov, a former
Soviet defence minister with close ties to the North Korean leadership dating back to the days when Kim Jong-il's
father, the late Kim Il-sung, was the North Korean leader. The Putin government apparently tapped these veteran Korea
hands in Russia to get North Korea adopt a moderate stance on nuclear issues and to create the environment for the next
round of six-nation talks.
[Kyodo News Service] |
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