U.S., S. Korean officials meet ahead of 6-party talks

0 Comments | Asian Political News, August 9, 2004

WASHINGTON, Aug. 3 Kyodo

A U.S. State Department official held talks Monday with a South Korean official on upcoming six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear arms ambitions, the State Department said Tuesday.

Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs James Kelly spent several hours with South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Lee Soo Hyuck on Monday in preparation for the fourth round of six-party talks, according to the State Department.

''They talked about the ongoing efforts to end North Korea's nuclear programs and preparations for the next six-party working group and plenary sessions,'' State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said.

Kerry and Lee have led the U.S. and South Korean delegations to the three rounds of six-party talks in Beijing since August last year. The talks involve China, Japan, North and South Korea, Russia and the United States.

No dates have been set for the next round of working group session or for the next round of six-party talks. But sources close to the talks said the parties to six-way talks have begun trying to set the working group meeting for Aug. 17-20 in Beijing ahead of the fourth round of plenary discussions.

Special U.S. envoy Joseph DeTrani was in China last week to discuss preparations for the next round of working group session. The working group will finalize technical issues before the full plenary session.

The first three rounds of talks, which began in August 2003, have produced little results in resolving the nuclear crisis.

The nuclear crisis erupted in October 2002 when the United States said North Korea had admitted to running a secret uranium enrichment program in violation of international agreements, including a 1994 nuclear accord between Washington and Pyongyang.

The United States, Japan and South Korea have repeatedly called for ''complete, irreversible and verifiable'' dismantlement of all North Korean nuclear operations, including use of atomic energy for power.