Rice 'cautiously optimistic' N. Korea will end nuclear program
U.S. envoy hails 'a good first day' in six-nation talks with Pyongyang
Last Updated: Thursday, February 8, 2007 | 11:38 AM ET
CBC News
http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2007/02/08/korea-nuclear-070208.html
There is cautious optimism from the U.S. side that North Korea is shifting towards an eventual shutdown of its nuclear weapons program, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Thursday, following a positive round of six-nation talks.
"I am cautiously optimistic that we may be able to begin, again, to implement the joint statement of 2005 toward the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula," Rice told a congressional panel.
North Korea's chief negotiator Kim Kye Gwan, centre top, and his aides face their South Korean counterparts during the opening ceremony of the six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear program on Thursday.
(Andrew Wong/Associated Press)
The remarks were in reference to a vague agreement in September 2005, under which North Korea first promised to suspend its nuclear program and submit to weapons inspectors. The details of that agreement have been subject to more than a year of debate with North Korea.
But Thursday's return to negotiations began on a note of optimism, with Pyongyang showing a surprising willingness to consider nuclear disarmament.
"We are prepared to discuss first-stage measures," North Korean envoy Kim Kye Gwan said in Beijing, in the lead-up to the six-party negotiations that had been deadlocked for three years.
Kim's remarks on Thursday, giving the talks a glint of hope for a deal, also marked a stark change from North Korea's stance on disarmament in December. At that time Kim refused to even discuss denuclearization and demanded the U.S. lift financial restrictions against a bank in Macau that allegedly laundered money for North Korea. The country had also twice boycotted the six-nation talks.
Still, the apparent change in attitude doesn't mean North Korea has completely softened.
'We had a good first day today'
"We are going to make a judgment based on whether the United States will give up its hostile policy and come out toward peaceful co-existence," Kim warned, adding the communist country would not stand for any U.S. policies aimed at toppling its government.
Unlike the last round of talks in December, delegates this time were at least able to make progress on discussing denuclearization, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill said.
"We had a good first day today," Hill, the main U.S. negotiator, told reporters. "We hope we can achieve some kind of joint statement here."
South Korea's envoy Chun Yung-woo lifted hopes that a deal could be reached as soon as this week, telling the Associated Press that China would circulate a draft agreement among delegates by Friday morning.
Hill also confirmed the Chinese hosts would draw up a "set of actions" by Friday that would be put to action in a matter of "single-digit weeks."
Hill would not go into detail, but reports out of South Korea said the plan would call for the U.S. and other countries to deliver oil and aid to North Korea in exchange for the closure of its nuclear reactor within a few months.
With files from the Associated Press
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参考阅读：
写在新一次朝核问题六方会谈召开前夕
http://comefromchina.com/newbbs/showthread.php?threadid=529465&forumid=95
U.S. envoy hails 'a good first day' in six-nation talks with Pyongyang
Last Updated: Thursday, February 8, 2007 | 11:38 AM ET
CBC News
http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2007/02/08/korea-nuclear-070208.html
There is cautious optimism from the U.S. side that North Korea is shifting towards an eventual shutdown of its nuclear weapons program, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Thursday, following a positive round of six-nation talks.
"I am cautiously optimistic that we may be able to begin, again, to implement the joint statement of 2005 toward the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula," Rice told a congressional panel.
North Korea's chief negotiator Kim Kye Gwan, centre top, and his aides face their South Korean counterparts during the opening ceremony of the six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear program on Thursday.
(Andrew Wong/Associated Press)
The remarks were in reference to a vague agreement in September 2005, under which North Korea first promised to suspend its nuclear program and submit to weapons inspectors. The details of that agreement have been subject to more than a year of debate with North Korea.
But Thursday's return to negotiations began on a note of optimism, with Pyongyang showing a surprising willingness to consider nuclear disarmament.
"We are prepared to discuss first-stage measures," North Korean envoy Kim Kye Gwan said in Beijing, in the lead-up to the six-party negotiations that had been deadlocked for three years.
Kim's remarks on Thursday, giving the talks a glint of hope for a deal, also marked a stark change from North Korea's stance on disarmament in December. At that time Kim refused to even discuss denuclearization and demanded the U.S. lift financial restrictions against a bank in Macau that allegedly laundered money for North Korea. The country had also twice boycotted the six-nation talks.
Still, the apparent change in attitude doesn't mean North Korea has completely softened.
'We had a good first day today'
"We are going to make a judgment based on whether the United States will give up its hostile policy and come out toward peaceful co-existence," Kim warned, adding the communist country would not stand for any U.S. policies aimed at toppling its government.
Unlike the last round of talks in December, delegates this time were at least able to make progress on discussing denuclearization, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill said.
"We had a good first day today," Hill, the main U.S. negotiator, told reporters. "We hope we can achieve some kind of joint statement here."
South Korea's envoy Chun Yung-woo lifted hopes that a deal could be reached as soon as this week, telling the Associated Press that China would circulate a draft agreement among delegates by Friday morning.
Hill also confirmed the Chinese hosts would draw up a "set of actions" by Friday that would be put to action in a matter of "single-digit weeks."
Hill would not go into detail, but reports out of South Korea said the plan would call for the U.S. and other countries to deliver oil and aid to North Korea in exchange for the closure of its nuclear reactor within a few months.
With files from the Associated Press
------------------------------------
参考阅读：
写在新一次朝核问题六方会谈召开前夕
http://comefromchina.com/newbbs/showthread.php?threadid=529465&forumid=95