Parties meet ahead of crucial six-way nuke talks
Chinese and South Korean officials held preliminary talks Saturday to discuss ways to spur on the upcoming six-nation summit aimed at overcoming the impasse over Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program.
Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi and South Korea’s Deputy Foreign Minister Lee Soo-hyuck signalled a joint declaration to produce results at the meeting on February 25 in Beijing, where representatives from the US, the two Koreas, China, Russia and Japan will gather.
“We hope that substantive results could be made through joint efforts at the second round of talks,’ Wang said.
“Whatever difficulties surfaces, we must firmly push ahead with the process of peace talks.”
Separately, North Korea’s nuclear programme – namely the production of highly enriched uranium – could be more “advanced” than hitherto believed, according to US assistant secretary of state James Kelly.
Kelly said: “the recent confession of Pakistan’s A.Q. Khan suggests that if anything, the North Korean HEU (highly enriched uranium) programme is of longer duration and more advanced than we had assessed.”
His comments come after Abdul Qadeer Khan, the “father” of Pakistan’s nuclear arms program, said he had sold nuclear secrets to “rogue” states such as North Korea, Libya and Iran.
Kelly said Washington was unmoved on requests to lift sanctions without a corresponding quid pro quo over nuclear weapons from Pyongyang.
He reiterated the US’ commitment to a diplomatic solution, saying the negotiating team in Beijing would “listen carefully and respond to all positions.”
“We and other the other parties realise that moving away from isolation and estrangement toward openness and engagement will be a major undertaking and we are willing to help … There is a chance for redemption,” he said.
