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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