ID :
23816
Sat, 10/11/2008 - 08:27
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/23816
The shortlink copeid
US ambassador stresses 'action-for-action' in delisting
By Kim Boram and Park Boram
SEOUL, Oct. 10 (Yonhap) -- The new U.S. ambassador to Seoul said Friday that Washington will remove Pyongyang from its terrorism blacklist when North Korea takes steps to verify its nuclear programs.
"We've been working on that for a while and I think it's pretty clear and I think
that the discussion is underway in Washington," Ambassador Kathleen Stephens said
at a luncheon hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce when asked whether the
U.S. will delist the North before the communist country agrees to verify.
She noted that the U.S. has already expressed its position on the issue, saying
"President Bush had made an announcement in the summer clearly for what we are
preparing to do and what we are looking for from the DPRK, in terms of
verification."
DPRK stands for Democratic Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name.
Chief U.S. nuclear envoy Christopher Hill traveled to Pyongyang last week after
six-nation negotiations hit a snag over ways to verify the North's June nuclear
declaration, raising hopes that the two sides had made some progress.
Reports said Thursday that Washington had notified other partners in the
six-party talks -- the two Koreas, Japan, China, and Russia -- of its intention
to delist Pyongyang soon from the U.S. list of terrorism sponsoring states.
Stephens, the first female U.S. envoy to South Korea, emphasized the
action-for-action principle.
"The removal from terrorism network is of course U.S. action and U.S. law, but
clearly we see it in context," she said "There are our joint commitments in the
six party talks to this action-for-action, as I mentioned earlier."
"Hill is in close touch with his counterparts here and others, as we discuss
issues of verification and whether or not the condition of verification is being
met and in a way that allows us to go forward. I know the consultation is
ongoing," said Stephens.
"We have made some progress on that road but we don't know yet how far we are
going to get," she added, saying that the decision lays in Pyongyang's hands.
brk@yna.co.kr
pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)
SEOUL, Oct. 10 (Yonhap) -- The new U.S. ambassador to Seoul said Friday that Washington will remove Pyongyang from its terrorism blacklist when North Korea takes steps to verify its nuclear programs.
"We've been working on that for a while and I think it's pretty clear and I think
that the discussion is underway in Washington," Ambassador Kathleen Stephens said
at a luncheon hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce when asked whether the
U.S. will delist the North before the communist country agrees to verify.
She noted that the U.S. has already expressed its position on the issue, saying
"President Bush had made an announcement in the summer clearly for what we are
preparing to do and what we are looking for from the DPRK, in terms of
verification."
DPRK stands for Democratic Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name.
Chief U.S. nuclear envoy Christopher Hill traveled to Pyongyang last week after
six-nation negotiations hit a snag over ways to verify the North's June nuclear
declaration, raising hopes that the two sides had made some progress.
Reports said Thursday that Washington had notified other partners in the
six-party talks -- the two Koreas, Japan, China, and Russia -- of its intention
to delist Pyongyang soon from the U.S. list of terrorism sponsoring states.
Stephens, the first female U.S. envoy to South Korea, emphasized the
action-for-action principle.
"The removal from terrorism network is of course U.S. action and U.S. law, but
clearly we see it in context," she said "There are our joint commitments in the
six party talks to this action-for-action, as I mentioned earlier."
"Hill is in close touch with his counterparts here and others, as we discuss
issues of verification and whether or not the condition of verification is being
met and in a way that allows us to go forward. I know the consultation is
ongoing," said Stephens.
"We have made some progress on that road but we don't know yet how far we are
going to get," she added, saying that the decision lays in Pyongyang's hands.
brk@yna.co.kr
pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)
