Kim Kye-Gwan, top negotiator of the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK),
arrived in Beijing Saturday morning.(Xinhua
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BEIJING, March 17
(Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) told negotiators it
has started preparations for shutting down the Yongbyon nuclear facilities,
chief negotiator of the Republic of Korea Chun Yung Woo said here Saturday.
The DPRK side talked about the start during a meeting of the
denuclearization working group of the six-party talks, which started on Saturday
morning in the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, Chun said.
Meanwhile, the DPRK delegation stressed whether disablement of the nuclear
facilities could proceed smoothly depends on other countries' fulfilling of
their corresponding commitments, Chun told a press briefing.
The commitments the DPRK referred to include that on its accounts in the
Banco Delta Asia (BDA), as well as the corresponding measures listed in the Feb.
13 joint statement, Chun said.
If conditions are mature, the DPRK delegation said, it would take relevant
measures on its nuclear facilities, including declaration of the facilities and
disablement, according to Chun.
During Saturday morning's plenary session, each of the six parties made a
key-note speech, and expressed their respective positions concerning the future
task of the denuclearization working group, Chun said.
They focused on the topics such as the task of the next phase after the
first 60 days, as well as the relations between the denuclearization group and
the International Atomic Energy Agency, the ROK top negotiator said.
Relevant parties proposed to set a time limit for the measures to take in
the next phase, he said.
While related countries including the ROK suggested the DPRK should declare
its enriched uranium, the DPRK delegation replied that the issue can be
discussed, according to Chun.
The DPRK said it could give an explanation if relevant evidence was
presented, Chun added.
The ROK delegation also suggested the parties reach common understanding on
the definition of "disablement". Parties concerned consented and agreed to
confer the definition of the word through working talks, Chun said.
In the afternoon, the ROK, the United States and Japan held working talks,
in which they discussed some hot topics and definitions concerning the
implementation of the Feb. 13 joint document, according to him.
The working group meeting is expected to last two days ahead of the fresh
round of six-party talks scheduled on Monday, said Chinese chief negotiator Wu
Dawei at the beginning of the meeting.
Wu, who heads the working group, presided over the meeting.
Representatives of the other five parties at the working group meeting
were: Minister of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to China Kim
Song Gi, U.S. top nuclear negotiator Christopher Hill, chief negotiator of the
Republic of Korea (ROK) Chun Yung Woo, and Russian ambassador at large Grigory
Berdennikov.
Japan was represented by its ambassador in charge of the Korean Peninsula
nuclear issue Suda Akio and its chief negotiator for six-party talks Kenichiro
Sasae.
BEIJING, March 17 (Xinhua) --
Kim Kye-Gwan, top negotiator of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
(DPRK), arrived here Saturday morning for the six-party talks on the Korean
Peninsula nuclear issue.
The DPRK would not shut down the Yongbyon nuclear reactor if the United States did not first lift financial bans on DPRK accounts in the Banco Delta Asia (BDA), a Macao-based bank, Kim told reporters upon his arrival in Beijing for a new round of the six-party talks scheduled to open on Monday.
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