U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill
said Tuesday that he and Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan of the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) had good discussions on
comprehensive topics in their two-day talks here aimed at normalizing
relations. (Xinhua Photo/Hou Jun) Photo Gallery
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NEW
YORK, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Talks between the United States and the Democratic
People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on normalizing bilateral relations ended here
Tuesday, with both sides sounding optimistic about further discussions.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher
Hill said he and DPRK Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan had "very good
discussions" on comprehensive topics in a businesslike atmosphere and that both
sides felt optimistic that the normalization process was on the right
track.
"I would say there was a sense of optimism
on both sides that we will get through this 60-day period and we will achieve
all of our objectives that are set out in the Feb. 13 agreement," he said,
referring to an agreement reached last month at the six-party talks in Beijing
that involve the United States, the DPRK, South Korea, China, Russia and Japan.
Kim, for his part, said the talks were "very
good, constructive and sincere."
"Wait and see
about the results," the Yonhap news agency quoted Kim as saying. "If I say
everything now, it would not be fun anymore."
Kim was the highest-ranking DPRK official to
visit the U.S. since 2000. He and Hill were meeting in the framework of the
Working Group on Normalization of DPRK-U.S. Relations as agreed at the third
session of the fifth round of six-party talks.
The Feb. 13 agreement also called for the
establishment of four other working groups -- denuclearization of the Korean
Peninsula, normalization of DPRK-Japan relations, economy and energy
cooperation, and Northeast Asia Peace and Security Mechanism.
Hill said the two sides spent a considerable
amount of the more than eight hours together on Monday and Tuesday looking
forward to the next phase, "which will be more difficult."
He stressed that the DPRK should "fulfill their
part of the bargain -- which is complete denuclearization" before normalization
of relations.
Hill said the two sides are
looking forward to "additional discussions" at the remainder of the Working
Group and the six-party delegation meetings in Beijing.
"It was useful for me to hear their plans for
how they will proceed to the next stage," said Hill. "So I think we also have
the will to move to the next stage."
"We'll have
bilateral meeting in Beijing in the framework of the six-party talks."
During their talks in New York, Hill and Kim
also discussed political, legal and historic aspects in steps toward ending the
designation of the DPRK as a state-sponsor of terrorism and terminating the
application of the U.S. Trading with the Enemy Act with respect to the DPRK.
Under the Feb. 13 document, the DPRK will shut
down and seal the Yongbyon nuclear facility, including the reprocessing facility
and invite back IAEA personnel to conduct all necessary monitoring and
verifications.
In addition, the parties also
agreed to the provision of emergency energy assistance to the DPRK in the
initial phase, and the assistance equivalent to 50,000 tons of heavy fuel oil
will commence within 60 days.
The normalization
talks between the U.S. and the DPRK occurs at a time when Mohamed ElBaradei,
chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency, prepares to visit Pyongyang on
March 13 to discuss how to monitor its promised dismantling of nuclear
facilities.
NEW YORK, Mar. 5 (Xinhua) -- Representatives from the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States on Monday had
a working dinner at a local hotel at the start of talks aimed at implementing an
agreement that includes steps toward normalizing bilateral relations.
DPRK Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan, the
highest-ranking DPRK official to visit the U.S. since 2000, and U.S. Assistant
Secretary of State Christopher Hill Kim will hold full talks on Tuesday.
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