I feel positive about these talks, hopefully a solution can be made so North Korea can rejoin the international community.
That would clearly disappoint to members who currently pleasure little kim.
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BEIJING, China (CNN) – Six-nation talks on resolving the North Korea nuclear crisis have begun in Beijing with diplomats on all sides expressing hopes of progress to end the 16-month standoff.
But sharp divisions between North Korea and the United States are likely stand in the way of any breakthrough towards Pyongyang scrapping its nuclear weapons programs and expectations of a resolution remain dim.
In opening remarks at Wednesday’s talks, Assistant U.S. Secretary of State James Kelly reiterated that the United States had “no intention” of invading North Korea, while Pyongyang’s top delegate called the talks “a very good opportunity” for progress.
The talks – between North and South Korea, Russia, Japan, China and the United States – took six months of diplomatic shuffling after a first round last August failed to make any progress other than a loose commitment to meet again.
Unlike the August meeting, this round of discussions, which began Wednesday, has no time limit or deadline.
At loggerheads are Washington and the United States. Both have refused to back down on their stance since the standoff flared in October 2002 when U.S. officials said Pyongyang admitted to secretly pursuing a nuclear weapons program. (Crisis Explainer)
North Korea, labeled a rogue state and part of an axis of evil with Iran and Iraq by U.S. President George W. Bush in 2002, wants a security guarantee from Washington that the U.S. will not attack before it will freeze its nuclear programs.
It also wants fuel and economic aid as well as other concessions.
Just hours before the talks began, North Korea issued a demand for compensation before beginning any freeze of its nuclear program – a statement aimed at the United States, which demands an immediate shutdown of the activities.
The U.S. says North Korea must first dismantle all its nuclear weapons programs and Washington will not be blackmailed into any concessions.
“The United States seeks complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement of all North Korea’s nuclear programs, both plutonium and uranium,” Kelly said Wednesday.
Compromise
North Korea praised its ally China for working to set up and host the talks.
Prior to Wednesday’s talks parties hinted they might be willing to accept some sort of compromise if it would lead to a resolution.
Robert Galluci, a former diplomat who held talks with the North Koreans last decade, told CNN “the buzz” in Washington was that Kelly – who heads the U.S. delegation in Beijing – would be ready to talk to the North Koreans about a step-by-step process to defuse the crisis.
In recent days Pyongyang has signaled a desire to deal, offering to freeze its nuclear activity in return for energy assistance.
But North Korea continues to reject the Bush administration’s demands for the unilateral dismantling of its program.
“The recent flurry of diplomacy is good preparation for these talks and helps in understanding,” Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi said as he opened the meeting.
North Korea’s top delegate, Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan, sounded an optimistic note.
“That the six-nation talks have reopened shows the willingness that the nuclear issue can be resolved peacefully,” Kim said.
“We hope that disagreement between each party can be narrowed as much as possible and the stalemate between North Korea and the United States can be resolved through dialogue.”
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