Hill, Saiki to meet over energy aid to N. Korea: State Dept. By Hwang Doo-hyong

WASHINGTON, Oct. 27 (Yonhap) -- Chief U.S. and Japanese nuclear negotiators will get together here Tuesday to discuss Japan's participation in the provision of energy aid to North Korea as part of a multilateral nuclear deal, the State Department said Monday.

Christopher Hill, assistant secretary of state, will meet with his Japanese
counterpart, Akitaka Saiki, and "talk about, touch on heavy fuel and making sure
that the six parties in some way, shape or form meet their obligations and, as
well as how to move the process forward," spokesman Sean McCormack said in a
daily news briefing.
The meeting comes amid reports that Australia or the European Union might be
willing to take Japan's place in the provision of 200,000 tons of heavy fuel oil
to the North by the end of October in return for Pyongyang's disabling of its
nuclear program under the six-party deal.
Japan has been reluctant to provide the energy unless the North addresses its
alleged abduction of Japanese citizens decades ago to train North Korean agents
in Japanese culture and language.
North Korea returned five Japanese abductees in 2002, soon after an unprecedented
summit between the leaders of the two countries, but Japan claims several more
abductees are still alive in North Korea. The North says they are dead.
"I think first on our list is going to be to talk about the abduction issue and
reiterate our support, to the Japanese government and the Japanese people, for
seeing that issue resolved," McCormack said.
The spokesman said the meeting will also address advancing the six-party talks.
"It's about the six-party talks, where we stand, moving the process forward;
consultations," he said. "What we have -- next steps in the process are to have a
head of delegation meeting at which we would get six-party buy-in and approval of
the verification regime that was negotiated."
McCormack, however, said the schedule for the next round of the talks has not yet
been fixed.
"I know the Chinese are still working on it," he said.
U.S. officials have said the next round of talks will likely be held in November
due to scheduling problems, although their original expectations were late
October, before the Nov. 4 presidential election in the U.S.
Washington removed Pyongyang from its terrorism blacklist in early October in
return for the North having agreed to allow access by international inspectors to
its declared nuclear facilities and undeclared sites by mutual consent.
North Korea then resumed disabling its nuclear facilities, paving the way for the
fresh round of the denuclearization talks jeopardized over the verification
issue.
Faced with criticism that Japan is crippling the nuclear talks, Tokyo said it was
ready to fund the scrapping of North Korea's nuclear facilities instead of
financing the energy aid.
North Korea responded by demanding Japan be ousted from the six-party talks while
U.S. officials say Japan is an important part of the six-party talks regardless
of who provides the energy aid.
On the report that North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's eldest son, Jong-nam,
appeared in Paris to consult with doctors on the senior Kim's health, McCormack
said, "I had no idea that he was in Paris."
Kim Jong-il is said to be recovering from brain surgery after a stroke.
Some analysts say the reclusive North Korean leader might not be able to make
public appearances for years due to his ailment, yet might be in good-enough
condition to allow close confidants to exercise power.
hdh@yna.co.kr
(END)