AFP
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
North Korea has indicated it is ready to "deal in specifics"
about giving up its newly proven nuclear arsenal when it returns
to six-party disarmamant negotiations next week in Beijing, the
top US negotiator said Wednesday.
But Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill predicted "very
tough negotiations" when the talks resume on Monday after
a 13-month break and said there were no guarantees the process
would achieve its goal of dismantling North Korea's nuclear weapons
program.
"I'm not here to predict success or express optimism,"
said Hill, who has held two rounds of preliminary talks with the
North Koreans since they agreed to return to the negotiating table
after carrying out their first test of a nuclear bomb on October
9.
Hill said that during one round of meetings on November 27 and
28 in Beijing, "there were indications that the DPRK, the
North Koreans, would be prepared to deal in specifics at the coming
round".
"The Chinese have also been in direct contact with the North
Koreans on several occasions, and they also have reason to believe
that we will see some specific ideas for moving ahead," he
said.
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