ID :
34705
Tue, 12/09/2008 - 18:35
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/34705
The shortlink copeid
China issues draft of verification protocol
By Lee Chi-dong
BEIJING, Dec. 9 (Yonhap) -- Veteran negotiators struggled Tuesday to reach a consensus on ways to inspect North Korea's nuclear facilities, although China circulated a draft agreement on the second day of talks.
"The related parties are continuing bilateral or multilateral meetings over the
draft," a South Korean official said. "It comprehensively contains each party's
position on the verification issue."
He said the draft is three to four pages long, but refused to give further
information, including whether the sensitive word "sampling" is included or not.
A diplomatic source privy to this week's talks, however, said later that the
wording does not exist in the draft. "Alternative expression was used to mean
sampling," the source said.
At the end of talks in July, North Korea agreed with its dialogue partners --
South Korea, the U.S., China, Russia and Japan -- to allow their inspectors to
choose "visits to facilities, review of documents, interviews with technical
personnel and other measures unanimously agreed upon among the six parties."
The planned verification protocol will provide more detailed guidelines on what
inspection measures will be used, as well as determine a time line and methods.
Putting verification methods in the six-way written agreement is the number one
goal in this week's talks, the first session in five months, Washington and its
allies say.
A major sticking point is whether sampling from the North's nuclear sites will be
allowed. The U.S. says it is a crucial tool for thorough verification, while
North Korea says sampling can be discussed only in the next stage, when
dismantling its nuclear program.
One compromise being considered is to reach a broad and purposefully vague deal
in a main document and put a sampling-related agreement in a secondary paper that
will not be made public, according to sources privy to the negotiations.
"We will need to focus our discussions on the verification issue," South Korea's
main negotiator, Kim Sook, told reporters earlier in the day.
North Korea has said discussions on promised energy aid should be a top priority.
Seoul's envoy said Monday night that the two issues are connected, pressing the
North to agree on the verification plan if it wants to receive the remaining
450,000 tons of heavy oil.
"We've come here with three goals in mind. To complete the verification protocol
is very important. We also want to complete the schedule of energy and the
schedule of disablement," chief U.S. negotiator Christopher Hill told reporters
on Tuesday morning. "Our plan is to get all the three done," he said.
This round of talks is scheduled to end on Wednesday, but envoys say it may be
extended.
BEIJING, Dec. 9 (Yonhap) -- Veteran negotiators struggled Tuesday to reach a consensus on ways to inspect North Korea's nuclear facilities, although China circulated a draft agreement on the second day of talks.
"The related parties are continuing bilateral or multilateral meetings over the
draft," a South Korean official said. "It comprehensively contains each party's
position on the verification issue."
He said the draft is three to four pages long, but refused to give further
information, including whether the sensitive word "sampling" is included or not.
A diplomatic source privy to this week's talks, however, said later that the
wording does not exist in the draft. "Alternative expression was used to mean
sampling," the source said.
At the end of talks in July, North Korea agreed with its dialogue partners --
South Korea, the U.S., China, Russia and Japan -- to allow their inspectors to
choose "visits to facilities, review of documents, interviews with technical
personnel and other measures unanimously agreed upon among the six parties."
The planned verification protocol will provide more detailed guidelines on what
inspection measures will be used, as well as determine a time line and methods.
Putting verification methods in the six-way written agreement is the number one
goal in this week's talks, the first session in five months, Washington and its
allies say.
A major sticking point is whether sampling from the North's nuclear sites will be
allowed. The U.S. says it is a crucial tool for thorough verification, while
North Korea says sampling can be discussed only in the next stage, when
dismantling its nuclear program.
One compromise being considered is to reach a broad and purposefully vague deal
in a main document and put a sampling-related agreement in a secondary paper that
will not be made public, according to sources privy to the negotiations.
"We will need to focus our discussions on the verification issue," South Korea's
main negotiator, Kim Sook, told reporters earlier in the day.
North Korea has said discussions on promised energy aid should be a top priority.
Seoul's envoy said Monday night that the two issues are connected, pressing the
North to agree on the verification plan if it wants to receive the remaining
450,000 tons of heavy oil.
"We've come here with three goals in mind. To complete the verification protocol
is very important. We also want to complete the schedule of energy and the
schedule of disablement," chief U.S. negotiator Christopher Hill told reporters
on Tuesday morning. "Our plan is to get all the three done," he said.
This round of talks is scheduled to end on Wednesday, but envoys say it may be
extended.
