ID :
89029
Wed, 11/11/2009 - 07:16
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https://www.oananews.org//node/89029
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Bosworth due in Pyongyang to jumpstart six-part talks: State Dept.
By Hwang Doo-hyong
WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. point man on North Korea will fly to Pyongyang by the end of the year as part of the six-party process to denuclearize the North, the U.S. State Department said Tuesday.
"We have told North Korea that we are prepared for Ambassador (Stephen) Bosworth
and a small interagency team to visit Pyongyang at an appropriate time not yet
determined," said Philip Crowley, assistant secretary of state for public
affairs.
Bosworth, special representative for North Korea policy, will likely fly to
Pyongyang by the end of the year, the spokesman said. "I would not expect this
meeting to take place while the president is in -- and the secretary are in the
region. I would say, as an expectation, sometime between now and the end of the
year."
U.S. President Barack Obama embarks on a nine-day Asian trip Thursday, winding up
his tour in Seoul on Nov. 19.
U.S. officials have said that an announcement on Bosworth's itinerary will come
"soon," possibly before Obama's departure.
Crowley said the proposed visit should focus on resumption of the multilateral
talks on ending North Korean nuclear weapons programs. The talks have been at a
lull due to U.N. sanctions for North Korea's nuclear and missile tests earlier
this year.
"Ambassador Bosworth's discussions in Pyongyang will take place in the context of
the six-party talks," said Crowley. "From our standpoint, the purpose will be to
facilitate an early resumption of the six-party talks and to secure North Korea's
reaffirmation of the September 2005 joint statement of the six-party talks,
including verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful
manner."
The 2005 nuclear deal calls for the North's nuclear dismantlement in return for a
hefty economic aid, diplomatic recognition and establishment of a permanent peace
regime on the Korean Peninsula to replace the fragile armistice that ended the
1950-53 Korean War.
Reports said that North Korea has agreed that Bosworth will meet with Kang
Sok-ju, North Korea's first vice foreign minister and the immediate superior of
Kim Kye-gwan, head of the North Korean delegation to the six-party talks.
The two sides also agreed to hold at least a couple of bilateral meetings before
Pyongyang returns to the six-party talks, reports said. The agreement was reached
at meetings between Sung Kim, U.S. special envoy for six-party talks, and Ri Gun,
director general of the North American affairs bureau of North Korea's foreign
ministry, in New York and San Diego recently on the sidelines of academic
seminars.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il early last month agreed to return to the
six-party talks pending the outcome of bilateral talks with the U.S.
Crowley said the North's gestures came from successful implementation of
international financial sanctions and an overall arms embargo, which Washington
believes have effectively cut off revenues from arms sales, the only source of
hard currency for the impoverished communist state.
"We have to believe that North Korea has felt, you know, some of that pressure,"
the spokesman said. "You know, so you've seen a shift in their strategy, the
so-called charm offensive that they have engaged in for the past couple of
months."
Crowley warned the U.S. will continue sanctioning the North unless Pyongyang
takes substantial steps toward its denuclearization.
"But clearly, we are very realistic about our expectations ... the bottom line
here is that North Korea has to take affirmative steps towards denuclearization,"
he said. "We are not going to reward North Korea simply for returning to the
six-party talks. We will be looking to see if they are prepared to take the kinds
of affirmative steps that they had previously agreed to."
The spokesman took note of the North's notorious brinkmanship.
"North Korea has a history of coming back to negotiations and expecting to be
rewarded just for simply coming back, you know, for discussions," he said. "We're
not here to talk for talk's sake; we're here to see, you know, specific results
by North Korea."
hdh@yna.co.kr
(END)
WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. point man on North Korea will fly to Pyongyang by the end of the year as part of the six-party process to denuclearize the North, the U.S. State Department said Tuesday.
"We have told North Korea that we are prepared for Ambassador (Stephen) Bosworth
and a small interagency team to visit Pyongyang at an appropriate time not yet
determined," said Philip Crowley, assistant secretary of state for public
affairs.
Bosworth, special representative for North Korea policy, will likely fly to
Pyongyang by the end of the year, the spokesman said. "I would not expect this
meeting to take place while the president is in -- and the secretary are in the
region. I would say, as an expectation, sometime between now and the end of the
year."
U.S. President Barack Obama embarks on a nine-day Asian trip Thursday, winding up
his tour in Seoul on Nov. 19.
U.S. officials have said that an announcement on Bosworth's itinerary will come
"soon," possibly before Obama's departure.
Crowley said the proposed visit should focus on resumption of the multilateral
talks on ending North Korean nuclear weapons programs. The talks have been at a
lull due to U.N. sanctions for North Korea's nuclear and missile tests earlier
this year.
"Ambassador Bosworth's discussions in Pyongyang will take place in the context of
the six-party talks," said Crowley. "From our standpoint, the purpose will be to
facilitate an early resumption of the six-party talks and to secure North Korea's
reaffirmation of the September 2005 joint statement of the six-party talks,
including verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful
manner."
The 2005 nuclear deal calls for the North's nuclear dismantlement in return for a
hefty economic aid, diplomatic recognition and establishment of a permanent peace
regime on the Korean Peninsula to replace the fragile armistice that ended the
1950-53 Korean War.
Reports said that North Korea has agreed that Bosworth will meet with Kang
Sok-ju, North Korea's first vice foreign minister and the immediate superior of
Kim Kye-gwan, head of the North Korean delegation to the six-party talks.
The two sides also agreed to hold at least a couple of bilateral meetings before
Pyongyang returns to the six-party talks, reports said. The agreement was reached
at meetings between Sung Kim, U.S. special envoy for six-party talks, and Ri Gun,
director general of the North American affairs bureau of North Korea's foreign
ministry, in New York and San Diego recently on the sidelines of academic
seminars.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il early last month agreed to return to the
six-party talks pending the outcome of bilateral talks with the U.S.
Crowley said the North's gestures came from successful implementation of
international financial sanctions and an overall arms embargo, which Washington
believes have effectively cut off revenues from arms sales, the only source of
hard currency for the impoverished communist state.
"We have to believe that North Korea has felt, you know, some of that pressure,"
the spokesman said. "You know, so you've seen a shift in their strategy, the
so-called charm offensive that they have engaged in for the past couple of
months."
Crowley warned the U.S. will continue sanctioning the North unless Pyongyang
takes substantial steps toward its denuclearization.
"But clearly, we are very realistic about our expectations ... the bottom line
here is that North Korea has to take affirmative steps towards denuclearization,"
he said. "We are not going to reward North Korea simply for returning to the
six-party talks. We will be looking to see if they are prepared to take the kinds
of affirmative steps that they had previously agreed to."
The spokesman took note of the North's notorious brinkmanship.
"North Korea has a history of coming back to negotiations and expecting to be
rewarded just for simply coming back, you know, for discussions," he said. "We're
not here to talk for talk's sake; we're here to see, you know, specific results
by North Korea."
hdh@yna.co.kr
(END)
