Kim Kye-Gwan, top negotiator of the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK),
arrived in Beijing Saturday morning.(Xinhua
Photo) Photo
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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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