North Korea blocks weapons diplomacy

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NORTH KOREA said yesterday that it will not return to six-way talks on its nuclear weapons programme unless the United States lifts sanctions on its companies, clouding prospects for a breakthrough before a security conference in Tokyo. “Is there anything to do if the United States doesn’t change its position?” Song Il Hyuck, a member of the North Korean delegation, asked.

Mr Song said North Korea had never been opposed to the six-way talks, and that it was ready to return to talks if the US lifted financial sanctions imposed on a Macau-based bank and North Korean companies for alleged illegal
activities. “First of all, the United States should remove the obstacle,” Mr Song said. North Korean officials have no plans to hold bilateral meetings with their US counterparts, but would oblige if there were a request, Mr Song said.

The comments came amid a flurry of diplomatic activity on the sidelines of a private security conference in Tokyo attended by delegates from the six-party nuclear talks, which had raised hopes that they would be able to find common ground on which to relaunch the stalled nuclear talks. Tadamichi Yamamoto, the Japanese ambassador in charge of the nuclear issue, met another North Korean delegation member, Jong Thae Yang, but there were no reports of any progress yesterday.

North Korea’s top nuclear negotiator, Kim Kye Gwan, who arrived in Tokyo on Friday, met his South Korean and Japanese counterparts, Chun Young Woo and Kenichiro Sasae, at separate meetings on Saturday, with no apparent movement on either side. “I didn’t find a situation in which I have expectations and hope,” Mr Chun said. “Unofficial meetings help to understand each other’s positions, but this is not a conference where a breakthrough can be found.”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,25689-2127183,00.html