Posted on 08/02/2005 8:53:55 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
BEIJING - North Korea's main envoy said Tuesday his country won't give up its nuclear weapons until an alleged U.S. atomic threat against the communist nation is eliminated, the first public comments from the North after eight days of six-party negotiations.
Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan said "differences in opinions" remained between the North and the United States.
"Our decision is to give up nuclear weapons and programs related to nuclear weapons if the United States removes its nuclear threat against us and when trust is built," Kim said outside the North Korean Embassy in Beijing.
The North has alleged the United States has nuclear weapons in South Korea, a claim both Seoul and Washington deny. However, the North could also be referring to other American forces across the region, where the U.S. military has maintained a strong presence since the end of World War II.
Despite the disagreements, Kim said the North still looked to "narrow these differences as much as we can to present results."
Top envoys from all six countries on Tuesday discussed a draft of a proposed statement of principles as they struggled with North Korea's demands for what it should receive if it disarms.
In Washington, a U.S. official said China, which is doing all the drafting, presented one draft Tuesday morning and a second Tuesday afternoon.
The plan is to have all six nations report to their capitals Wednesday morning, then reassemble in the afternoon and decide on the next steps to take.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak for the record, said all sides were being constructive.
"There are five parties that are in pretty close agreement on those principles and the key question is whether North Korea is willing to make the strategic decision it needs to make to go forward," U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick said in Beijing, where he was on a visit separate from the nuclear talks.
As a result of the latest meeting, China proposed a new draft "that reflects a balance" of what was discussed, South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Song Min-soon said Tuesday evening. He said meetings would continue Wednesday on the proposal.
Earlier Tuesday, delegates at the talks expressed frustration over the lack of progress before heading into the first meeting of all head delegates since Saturday.
Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura told reporters in Tokyo that the talks would "take more time."
"I can't say discussions on the wording of the agreement are going smoothly," Machimura said. "North Korea continues to deny that it has a uranium enrichment program."
U.S. officials said in late 2002 that the North admitted to violating a 1994 deal by embarking on a secret uranium enrichment program, sparking the latest nuclear standoff.
"I don't know where we go with this," the chief U.S. delegate, Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, said before Tuesday's meetings.
His South Korean counterpart, Song, added: "In the current situation, we are almost running out of wisdom."
Unlike previous negotiations where the sides failed to agree on a joint statement, delegates this time have set no deadline for the talks and appeared determined to work out a declaration.
Russia's Interfax news agency quoted an "informed North Korean source" as saying the talks could end Wednesday.
"We believe that if we don't succeed in signing a final document, that will mean the fourth round of negotiations sort of did not take place, collapsed," Interfax quoted the unidentified source as saying Tuesday.
No details of any drafts have been released, but reports have said it would mention energy aid and a security guarantee for Pyongyang and eventually normalized political relations with Washington.
"We'll stay here as long as we feel we're making progress," Hill said late Monday. "If we're not making progress, we're not going to stay."
Despite delegates' pessimistic tone, analysts cautioned it was too soon to talk about deadlock.
"North Korea has a tendency to use brinkmanship in the last stage to get maximum concessions," said Ko Yu-hwan, professor of North Korean studies at South Korea's Dongguk University. "The pessimistic atmosphere or last-minute struggle can, in a way, be seen as a sign that we are close to getting results from the talks."
In February, the North claimed it had nuclear weapons and has since has claimed it has taken steps that would allow it to harvest more plutonium for possible use in bombs. Many experts believe the North already has enough weapons-grade material for about a half-dozen atomic weapons.
Chinese paramilitary officers march past portraits of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, top right, and his late father Kim Il Sung outside the North Korean embassy in Beijing, China, Monday, Aug. 1, 2005. China has proposed a new draft of a statement by negotiators at the ongoing talks on North Korea's nuclear program, the U.S. envoy said Monday after weekend discussions were snarled by the North's demands for what it should receive in exchange for disarming. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
"Our decision is to give up nuclear weapons and programs related to nuclear weapons if the United States removes its nuclear threat against us and when trust is built," Kim said outside the North Korean Embassy in Beijing.
Simple answer to the semi-Krazy Kim and his fully-Krazy boss - don't <expletive deleted> with us, and we won't <expletive deleted> you up.
OK, thake the nukes out and redeploy them somewhere else, meanwhile retask a few silos in North Dakota. Does it really matter where the things are launched the end result is the same.
F off, Kim.
Doesn't matter what N. Korea's excuse or blame, they're not giving up their weapons. Didn't Jimmah Cahteh negotiate a no-nothing agreement back in '93? N. Korea's been stalling ever since.
I think the fab-14 senators have the solution. NK gives up its nukes and we promise to to go nuclear against NK except in "extraordinary" circumstances.
This is all the more indication to me that the N. Koreans are nothing more than a pawn for the Chinese Communists.
Sounds like a non-starter since nukes can be delivered to any point on earth in 90 minutes or less.
If I didn't already have a tagline, that would make a good one...
The Krazy Kims - Pauns for the ChiComs since 1950.
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