North Korea hardens stance ahead of nuclear talks
(Reuters)
Updated: 2005-09-12 09:59

PROGRESS AND TRUST?

An international consortium was to supply those reactors as part of a 1994 deal under which North Korea was to freeze its nuclear weapons programs in return for fuel assistance that would later be replaced by power from the reactors.

Washington says the North broke the deal by pursuing a secret nuclear weapons plan using highly enriched uranium.

The South Korean official, who asked not to be named, said the United States would not agree to dusting off the 1994 light-water reactor deal nor striking a new agreement under which the North gets international help to build light-water reactors.

A separate senior South Korean official said the parties had laid most of their cards on the table and the discussions had made strides since they began in August 2003.

"We are not at the stage of talking about dismantlement versus corresponding measures any more. We're much deeper into the issues," he said.

A senior Russian diplomat told Interfax news agency the six parties "have never been so close" to reaching a deal.

Yet that optimism is not universal, and analysts note failure to make progress at this set of talks could lead to pressure to refer the matter to the U.N. Security Council.

U.S. officials have expressed concern about the North having any sort of nuclear program, saying the country could use a civilian program to develop nuclear weapons.

North Korea declared in February it had nuclear weapons. It left the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in January 2003.

The top U.S. negotiator to the talks said North Korea, which battles energy shortages, should look to a sweetener from South Korea to supply it with electricity about equal to its own output after it dismantles its nuclear weapons programs.

"Our position has been very clear on this. North Korea needs to get out of the nuclear business," Christopher Hill, assistant secretary of state for Asia and Pacific Affairs, told a briefing in Washington on Friday.

"In some two-and-a-half to three years, they could have new electricity being generated into towns and villages and cities in the DPRK," he said of the proposal from South Korea.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told a briefing last week that Beijing -- host of all the talks so far -- hoped the parties would seize the opportunity to reach a deal.

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