ID :
38254
Wed, 12/31/2008 - 10:17
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/38254
The shortlink copeid
S. Korea to seek progress in nuke talks, stronger ties with U.S.
By Lee Chi-dong
Seoul, Dec. 31 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will focus diplomatic efforts next year on
making "substantial progress" in six-way talks on the North Korean nuclear
program and bolstering its "strategic alliance" with the United States, the
foreign ministry said Wednesday.
Briefing President Lee Myung-bak on its policy goals for 2009, the ministry also
said it would pursue free trade pacts with Australia, Peru, New Zealand, Turkey
and Colombia, as well as India and the European Union, with which negotiations
are in their final stage.
"We will actively push to deepen and develop the 21st century strategic alliance
with the U.S. in time with the launch of the next administration," it said.
Analysts say South Korea's conservative government faces the daunting task of
coordinating its foreign policy with the incoming Democratic administration in
the country's closest ally. South Korean officials have bitter memories of the
divide over how to deal with North Korea between outgoing U.S. President George
W. Bush and South Korea's two previous liberal presidents.
The foreign ministry said it plans to work out a far-reaching "future alliance
vision" with the Obama administration on major international security concerns.
"We will set up a joint strategy with the new U.S. government to make substantial
progress in the six-way talks within the year 2009," it added.
The on-again-off-again talks also involving China, Russia, and Japan are
deadlocked over ways to verify Pyongyang's declaration of its nuclear activities
submitted in June.
"We will concentrate diplomatic efforts on completing the verification and
negotiations on the second phase as early as possible and start full-scale talks
on the third phase within the new year," it said.
Under the terms of the second of the three-tiered denuclearization process agreed
upon in 2007, the North has been slowly disabling its main nuclear reactor in
Yongbyon in return for energy aid from the other countries involved in the
six-way talks.
North Korea is obliged to fully dismantle its nuclear program in the last phase.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)
Seoul, Dec. 31 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will focus diplomatic efforts next year on
making "substantial progress" in six-way talks on the North Korean nuclear
program and bolstering its "strategic alliance" with the United States, the
foreign ministry said Wednesday.
Briefing President Lee Myung-bak on its policy goals for 2009, the ministry also
said it would pursue free trade pacts with Australia, Peru, New Zealand, Turkey
and Colombia, as well as India and the European Union, with which negotiations
are in their final stage.
"We will actively push to deepen and develop the 21st century strategic alliance
with the U.S. in time with the launch of the next administration," it said.
Analysts say South Korea's conservative government faces the daunting task of
coordinating its foreign policy with the incoming Democratic administration in
the country's closest ally. South Korean officials have bitter memories of the
divide over how to deal with North Korea between outgoing U.S. President George
W. Bush and South Korea's two previous liberal presidents.
The foreign ministry said it plans to work out a far-reaching "future alliance
vision" with the Obama administration on major international security concerns.
"We will set up a joint strategy with the new U.S. government to make substantial
progress in the six-way talks within the year 2009," it added.
The on-again-off-again talks also involving China, Russia, and Japan are
deadlocked over ways to verify Pyongyang's declaration of its nuclear activities
submitted in June.
"We will concentrate diplomatic efforts on completing the verification and
negotiations on the second phase as early as possible and start full-scale talks
on the third phase within the new year," it said.
Under the terms of the second of the three-tiered denuclearization process agreed
upon in 2007, the North has been slowly disabling its main nuclear reactor in
Yongbyon in return for energy aid from the other countries involved in the
six-way talks.
North Korea is obliged to fully dismantle its nuclear program in the last phase.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)
