North Korea Nuclear Envoys Call Two-Day Talks Recess (Update2)

09/30/2007

Sept. 30 (Bloomberg) -- The six-nation forum negotiating an end to North Korea's nuclear program called a two-day recess so the involved governments can consider a draft statement on the timing and process for disabling the communist state's plants.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei, reading a statement at the Diaoyutai State Guest House in Beijing, said the forum had ``meaningful discussions'' over the past four days, and will release a final version of the document ``after two days.''

The talks this week were meant to produce a document that lays out specific action that will result in the full disclosure and disablement of North Korea's nuclear operations by the end of December, in line with an agreement between the U.S. and North Korea reached this month in Geneva.

North Korea, under a Feb. 13 accord with the U.S., China, South Korea, Japan and Russia, will end its program in exchange for 1 million metric tons of fuel oil or the equivalent in aid. The North Koreans in July shut down and sealed the country's Yongbyon nuclear reactor, which produced weapons-grade plutonium.

``The document outlines a timeframe on what North Korea needs to do in terms of its disabling duties,'' South Korea's chief negotiator in the forum, Ambassador Chun Yung Woo, said today after the announcement. ``The text clearly states that it will be completed by Dec. 31.''

Working Groups

Following the last round of talks in July, the forum met in separate working groups to accomplish five main tasks: define disablement; set a timetable to declare fissile materials; detail the delivery of the heavy fuel oil and what qualifies as an energy equivalent; resolve the timetable for the various actions; and work toward normalization between North Korea, South Korea, Japan and the U.S.

``Based on consensus of the five working groups, we had meaningful discussions,'' Wu said today. ``Thanks to our concerted efforts, we have a draft common document. Since we need to report the document to our governments, we agreed we will recess for two days. We will make the statement public after two days.''

Chun said he expects the document to be approved.

``If that doesn't happen there is a problem of renegotiations and I hope that it does not come to that,'' he told reporters. ``If there is no approval, then there is no agreement. Still, I don't feel we need to worry about that kind of situation at this point.''

Fuel Oil Delivery

Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, the chief U.S. negotiator, said yesterday the delivery of the remaining 900,000 metric tons of oil to North Korea was discussed this week. South Korea sent 50,000 tons in July and China started delivering another 50,000 tons this month.

``The Russians will be next in line with the tranche after the U.S. tranche, which was announced in Washington,'' Hill said. ``I think we've kind of got our mechanism set up on that.''

Japan has so far declined to take part in providing the energy assistance until North Korea repatriates Japanese citizens abducted in the 1970s and 1980s. North Korea acknowledged its agents took 13 Japanese nationals. It allowed five to return in October 2002.

``If there is concrete progress on the abduction issue we are eager and willing to join this fuel and economic assistance undertaking,'' Kazuyuki Yamazaki, spokesman for the Japanese delegation to the nuclear talks, said yesterday in an interview in Beijing. ``We hope that circumstances improve so that Japan can join in the economic assistance program.''

Sanctions Extended

Japan will extend sanctions against North Korea for another six months because no progress was made on the abductions issue, Kyodo News reported today, citing Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura at a news briefing in Tokyo.

Japan banned imports from North Korea and stopped its ships from visiting Japanese ports after the nation test fired missiles in July last year. Japan added more sanctions after the government in Pyongyang tested a nuclear weapon in October.

In April, Japan extended the sanctions for six months because of a lack of progress in resolving the kidnappings.

As part of the February agreement, North Korea will receive security guarantees and establish normal relations with the U.S. that would include being removed from the State Department's list of sponsors of terrorism.

State Sponsor of Terrorism

Designation as a state sponsor of terrorism results in U.S. sanctions, including curbs on economic aid and a ban on arms- related sales. North Korea was put on the list in 1988, after its agents were implicated a year earlier in the bombing of a South Korean passenger airliner that killed all 155 people on board.

The draft statement doesn't include a timeframe for taking North Korea off the list, Chun said. ``The two parties involved know what the timeframe for that looks like, so they did not argue to have this clearly spelled out in the document.''

North Korea was cooperative during this round of talks, Chun said.

``In drawing up the document today many countries showed their spirit of cooperation, and especially North Korea conceded on many points, showing a strong will to reach an agreement this time round.''