ID :
36885
Mon, 12/22/2008 - 09:25
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/36885
The shortlink copeid
Rice defends 6-way talks as only way to denuclearize N. Korea
By Hwang Doo-hyong
WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said
Sunday that six-party talks are the only way to achieve North Korea's
denuclearization, citing Pyongyang's common strategy of exploiting division in
the international community.
"A lot has been achieved" in the multilateral talks over the past half year, the
outgoing secretary said on NBC's "Meet the Press," including the shutdown of the
North's main nuclear reactor, presentation of its nuclear list and blowing up of
the cooling tower of the North's main nuclear reactor.
"I think more will be achieved, but it's really only going to be achieved in the
context of the six parties, because if you don't have China and South Korea and
Russia and Japan at the table, too, then the North can play the game that they
used to play of getting benefits from other parts of the international community
and refusing to carry forward on its obligations," she said.
Rice rebuffed criticism that North Korea had "played" the U.S. in refusing to
agree to a verification protocol on its nuclear facilities in the waning weeks of
the Bush administration, saying,"Of course we didn't trust them."
"What we are negotiating is a verification protocol because nobody does trust
them," she said.
She said that 80 percent of the verification protocol has been agreed upon with
the North.
"What the North wouldn't do is go the last 20 percent, which is to clarify some
of the elements of scientific procedures that might be used to sample the soil,"
she said.
She said that what the North Koreans had agreed to is "hings like interviews with
scientists, the right to go and ask questions and probe concerning various
facilities, the right to look at operations records, to look at production
records."
In the latest six-party talks earlier this month, North Korea would not sign an
agreement on sampling, saying it will sign later in the third and final phase,
the dismantlement, under a multilateral nuclear deal signed by the six parties.
The North's refusal came amid concerns that Pyongyang is awaiting the
inauguration of the Barack Obama administration in January for a possibly better
deal.
hdh@yna.co.kr
(END)
WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said
Sunday that six-party talks are the only way to achieve North Korea's
denuclearization, citing Pyongyang's common strategy of exploiting division in
the international community.
"A lot has been achieved" in the multilateral talks over the past half year, the
outgoing secretary said on NBC's "Meet the Press," including the shutdown of the
North's main nuclear reactor, presentation of its nuclear list and blowing up of
the cooling tower of the North's main nuclear reactor.
"I think more will be achieved, but it's really only going to be achieved in the
context of the six parties, because if you don't have China and South Korea and
Russia and Japan at the table, too, then the North can play the game that they
used to play of getting benefits from other parts of the international community
and refusing to carry forward on its obligations," she said.
Rice rebuffed criticism that North Korea had "played" the U.S. in refusing to
agree to a verification protocol on its nuclear facilities in the waning weeks of
the Bush administration, saying,"Of course we didn't trust them."
"What we are negotiating is a verification protocol because nobody does trust
them," she said.
She said that 80 percent of the verification protocol has been agreed upon with
the North.
"What the North wouldn't do is go the last 20 percent, which is to clarify some
of the elements of scientific procedures that might be used to sample the soil,"
she said.
She said that what the North Koreans had agreed to is "hings like interviews with
scientists, the right to go and ask questions and probe concerning various
facilities, the right to look at operations records, to look at production
records."
In the latest six-party talks earlier this month, North Korea would not sign an
agreement on sampling, saying it will sign later in the third and final phase,
the dismantlement, under a multilateral nuclear deal signed by the six parties.
The North's refusal came amid concerns that Pyongyang is awaiting the
inauguration of the Barack Obama administration in January for a possibly better
deal.
hdh@yna.co.kr
(END)
