Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi
(4th L) takes a group photo with top nuclear negotiators in a fresh round
of talks on the denuclearization of the Democratic People's Republic of
Korea (DPRK) in the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, on Dec. 11,
2008.(Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
BEIJING, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- Six parties involved in
the Korean Peninsula nuclear talks ended a third day of negotiations without
making any progress.
"I can't say there is any breakthrough," Chief U.S.
Negotiator Christopher Hill told reporters Wednesday evening.
The sticking point was how to verify the nuclear
program of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea(DPRK).
Under an agreement reached at the six-party talks in
February 2007, the DPRK agreed to abandon all nuclear weapons and programs. It
also promised to declare all its nuclear programs and facilities by the end of
2007. In return, DPRK would get diplomatic and economic incentives.
The six parties agreed to a disarmament schedule in October 2007. The DPRK said it slowed down that process because of sluggish economic compensation.
Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi (4th L) meets with top nuclear negotiators in a fresh round of talks on the denuclearization of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, on Dec. 11, 2008.(Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
When the new round of talks started Monday, China put
together the views of all parties in a verification draft.
Describing Wednesday as "a tough, long day," Hill
said everyone tried to discuss the Chinese draft but had difficulty getting
consensus to move forward.
"It's not trending in the right direction. In terms
of coming up with a verification agreement, we don't seem to be narrowing
differences," Assistant U.S. Secretary of State Hill said. "I'm going to report
to Washington."
There were extensive one-on-one meetings going on
Wednesday, including one between Hill and his DPRK counterpart Kim Kye Gwan.
"I had a bilateral meeting earlier today with DPRK.
Let me just say we had gone into many details, it's a difficult meeting," Hill
said.
Although China had said the talks would last three
days, envoys said they would extend their stay in Beijing to continue
negotiations, which also include the Republic of Korea(ROK), Russia and Japan.
By Wednesday night, no party had said how long the
talks would go on.
The process to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula
started in 2003.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- The United States does not
rule out the possibilities that putting back the Democratic People's Republic of
Korea (DPRK) to the list of state sponsors of terrorism, a senior official said
on Wednesday.
"I suppose these things are always possible," State
Department spokesman Sean McCormack said at the daily briefing, when asked
whether Washington would put back the DPRK to the list of state sponsors of
terrorism should Pyongyang takes uncooperative steps on its nuclear program. Full story
BEIJING, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- Chief delegates of the
six-party talks kept negotiating here on Wednesday over the draft proposal on
how to verify the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) nuclear program
after reaching no agreement Tuesday. Full story
PYONGYANG, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's
Republic of Korea (DPRK) Saturday said it welcomed the reopening of six-party
talks in the coming days in Beijing, wishing to resolve issues that hinder the
progress of the talks.
The DPRK believes that the upcoming six-nation talks
should have two tasks. One is to "ensure the speed of economic compensation" to
the DPRK as promised by the other five parties, and the other is to "achieve
common understanding of the issue of verification," said a spokesman of the DPRK
Foreign Ministry in a statement. Full story
