Nuke talks grapple with details
By Jiao Xiaoyang (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-11-10 05:51

The latest round of the Six-Party Talks got under way in a "pragmatic and forward-looking" atmosphere, but differences remain.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Qin Gang told a briefing yesterday evening that the six parties agreed to form special working and expert committees as a "proper option" to implement the joint statement issued in September.

But further discussion is needed to agree on the mechanisms of the panels, according to Qin, who added that there were disagreements over the sequence of implementing the joint statement.

It is the fifth time Beijing is hosting the talks. In a major breakthrough at the end of the last round in September, a joint agreement was issued outlining the principles and goals for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) promised to scrap all its nuclear-weapon and related programmes, rejoin the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and allow outside nuclear inspections in exchange for security guarantees and economic aid.

The United States promised not to militarily attack the DPRK and agreed to join the other four parties, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Japan, China and Russia, in providing energy supplies.

But differences remain over some issues, especially on how to sequence the agreement. Pyongyang wants to get nuclear reactors in advance, while Washington insists that the issue can be discussed only after the country moves first to verifiably abandon its nuclear ambitions.

The formal talks opened at 10 am yesterday, followed by a plenary session in the morning and several rounds of bilateral talks in the afternoon.

Chief Chinese negotiator and Vice-Foreign Minister Wu Dawei said at the opening that the focal point of this round, scheduled to last three days, is "to outline details, ways and procedures for the implementation of the joint statement adopted in September."

Wu said China is in favour of a step-by-step process, with the heads of delegations mapping out framework plans and working committees or expert panels producing specific proposals for the heads of delegations.

"Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is a complicated job. It is a pragmatic approach to disassemble it into smaller issues and resolve them through specific panels," said Li Dunqiu, a scholar on Korean studies at the State Council's Development Research Centre.

He said working or expert committees are likely to be formed on three issues: denuclearization, normalization of US-DPRK relations, and energy and economic aid to the DPRK.

"This round touches on the substantive discussion on turning the promises into action. That would be a complicated process and the negotiations will be tough," said Shen Jiru, a researcher on international strategy at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

(China Daily 11/10/2005 page2)