ID :
34306
Sat, 12/06/2008 - 21:09
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/34306
The shortlink copeid
(4th LD) North Korea says it will boycott Japan in six-party talks
(ATTN: UPDATES with Hill's comments in last 6 paras)
SEOUL, Dec. 6 (Yonhap) -- North Korea said Saturday it will not dialogue with
Japan in the upcoming six-party nuclear talks, as Tokyo refuses to provide its
share of promised energy for Pyongyang.
"We will neither treat Japan as a party to the talks nor deal with it even if it
impudently appears in the conference room," a spokesman for North Korea's Foreign
Ministry was quoted as saying by the North's Korean Central News Agency.
"It is only Japan out of those parties that has not done anything to fulfill its
commitment, and is still refusing to do so," the spokesman said.
The warning came a couple of days before a fresh round of the denuclearization
talks was set to begin in Beijing. North Korea was promised 1 million tons of
heavy fuel oil or the equivalent by its negotiating partners in the six-party
talks in late 2007 in exchange for disabling its nuclear facilities. The talks
also involve South Korea, the United States, Japan, China and Russia
About half of the aid has been delivered.
Japan has been reluctant to provide its share of the aid -- 200,000 tons of oil
-- linking the assistance to North Korea's abduction of Japanese citizens in the
Cold War era.
North Korea returned five Japanese abductees in 2002, soon after an unprecedented
summit between the leaders of the two countries, but Japan claims several more
abductees are still alive in North Korea. The North says they are dead.
Bilateral relations have come almost to a standstill over the abduction issue.
"It is the ulterior intention of Japan to bar the denuclearization of the
peninsula from coming true and put spurs to its moves to turn itself into a
military power under the pretext of the nuclear issue," the spokesman said.
Top U.S. nuclear envoy Christopher Hill urged Pyongyang to make efforts to
address Japan's concerns.
"I've just seen that statement. We did have a discussion about the need for DPRK
(North Korea) to do more to meet Japanese concerns, especially on the abduction
matter," Hill told reporters later Saturday upon arriving at an international
airport just west of Seoul from Singapore, where he had two days of discussions
with his North Korean counterpart, Kim Kye-gwan.
Hill said he talked with Kim about three main topics at the upcoming six-way
talks in Beijing -- agreeing on ways to verify the North's recent nuclear claims,
finishing the disablement of the Yongbyon reactor, and completing the delivery of
fuel oil.
"We need a situation where when we begin the verification there are no
surprises," he said.
When asked about whether any deal was produced, he said, "I wasn't negotiating
with him. I think the negotiation will take place in Beijing."
Hill is scheduled to fly to Beijing on Sunday.
(END)
SEOUL, Dec. 6 (Yonhap) -- North Korea said Saturday it will not dialogue with
Japan in the upcoming six-party nuclear talks, as Tokyo refuses to provide its
share of promised energy for Pyongyang.
"We will neither treat Japan as a party to the talks nor deal with it even if it
impudently appears in the conference room," a spokesman for North Korea's Foreign
Ministry was quoted as saying by the North's Korean Central News Agency.
"It is only Japan out of those parties that has not done anything to fulfill its
commitment, and is still refusing to do so," the spokesman said.
The warning came a couple of days before a fresh round of the denuclearization
talks was set to begin in Beijing. North Korea was promised 1 million tons of
heavy fuel oil or the equivalent by its negotiating partners in the six-party
talks in late 2007 in exchange for disabling its nuclear facilities. The talks
also involve South Korea, the United States, Japan, China and Russia
About half of the aid has been delivered.
Japan has been reluctant to provide its share of the aid -- 200,000 tons of oil
-- linking the assistance to North Korea's abduction of Japanese citizens in the
Cold War era.
North Korea returned five Japanese abductees in 2002, soon after an unprecedented
summit between the leaders of the two countries, but Japan claims several more
abductees are still alive in North Korea. The North says they are dead.
Bilateral relations have come almost to a standstill over the abduction issue.
"It is the ulterior intention of Japan to bar the denuclearization of the
peninsula from coming true and put spurs to its moves to turn itself into a
military power under the pretext of the nuclear issue," the spokesman said.
Top U.S. nuclear envoy Christopher Hill urged Pyongyang to make efforts to
address Japan's concerns.
"I've just seen that statement. We did have a discussion about the need for DPRK
(North Korea) to do more to meet Japanese concerns, especially on the abduction
matter," Hill told reporters later Saturday upon arriving at an international
airport just west of Seoul from Singapore, where he had two days of discussions
with his North Korean counterpart, Kim Kye-gwan.
Hill said he talked with Kim about three main topics at the upcoming six-way
talks in Beijing -- agreeing on ways to verify the North's recent nuclear claims,
finishing the disablement of the Yongbyon reactor, and completing the delivery of
fuel oil.
"We need a situation where when we begin the verification there are no
surprises," he said.
When asked about whether any deal was produced, he said, "I wasn't negotiating
with him. I think the negotiation will take place in Beijing."
Hill is scheduled to fly to Beijing on Sunday.
(END)
