Here's progress.
Posted on 02/22/2004 5:48:23 AM PST by knighthawk
TOKYO - Russia, China and South Korea may supply oil to North Korea if it agrees to freeze its nuclear programme and admit inspectors, a Japanese newspaper said yesterday ahead of six-way talks on the issue next week.
Quoting a South Korean government source, the Asahi Shimbun said in its late edition that supplying oil was part of a three-stage strategy developed by Beijing and Seoul ahead of the talks.
The first stage would involve North Korea agreeing to a complete, irreversible and verifiable dismantling of its nuclear weapons. In return, the other five nations at the talks would provide security guarantees, the paper said.
If Pyongyang followed through by freezing its nuclear programme and allowing an inspection by International Atomic Energy Agency experts, Seoul, Moscow and Beijing would offer energy aid, with oil being a favoured option.
The third and final stage would be the complete dismantling of North Korea's nuclear arms in exchange for written guarantees on security and the removal of Pyongyang from Washington's list of nations that support terror.
A second round of talks on Pyongyang's nuclear programme will be held in Beijing next Wednesday between the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the United States.
The first round of talks, held in Beijing last August, did not make much progress.
A key task in the upcoming talks is how to resolve suspicions that North Korea has been running a secret uranium-based nuclear weapons programme. A senior US State Department official said no nuclear agreement with Pyongyang was possible until it agreed to eliminate that programme.
On Thursday, US President George W. Bush and his South Korean counterpart Roh Moo Hyun agreed to work towards a breakthrough in the talks. -- Reuters, AP
Here's progress.
I just love these capitulators. Weakness draws destruction. ["Talks"...sheesh!] I'll tell you what talks! A couple of MIRV warheads.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.