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DPRK signals nuclear talks possible

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-09-19 08:41

PYONGYANG: Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) leader Kim Jong-il is willing to engage in "bilateral and multilateral talks", a strong indication that the country might be close to rejoining stalled negotiations aimed at ending its nuclear weapons programs.

Kim met on Friday with Dai Bingguo, the special envoy of President Hu Jintao.

Kim Jong Il(front L4), top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), meets with Chinese President Hu Jintao's special envoy Dai Bingguo (front L3) in Pyongyang, Sept.17, 2009. [Xinhua]

In a letter delivered by Dai to Kim, Hu said that the Chinese Communist Party and the government attach great importance to the relationship between China and the DPRK.

Hu said that China has always considered the China-DPRK friendship as the treasure of the two parties, the two countries and the two peoples.

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In the spirit of carrying forward the tradition, facing to the future, developing the good-neighborly relations and strengthening cooperation, China is ready to consolidate and develop the relationship between the two countries, he added.

He said it has been China's consistent goal to realize the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and to safeguard and promote peace, stability and development of Northeast Asia.

Hu added that China is ready to spare no effort to work with the DPRK to realize those goals.

Kim responded to Hu's letter by saying that the people in the DPRK are proud of China's success in the past 60 years.

He indicated that he hoped the Chinese people would enjoy even greater achievements in the future.

The DPRK will continue to support China in its efforts to safeguard state sovereignty and security, he added.

The friendship between the two nations that was initiated and fostered by previous generations of leaders from both countries, is indissoluble, Kim said.

On the subject of DPRK's stand on the Korean Peninsula situation and the nuclear issue, Kim said that the DPRK insists on denuclearization and tries to maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

The DPRK is willing to solve problems through bilateral or multilateral talks, he added.

Since April, Pyongyang had insisted on one-on-one talks with the United States over nuclear issues.

That stance followed the DPRK's withdrawal from six-nation negotiations that had involved both Koreas as well as the US, China, Russia and Japan.

Peng Guangqian, a Beijing military strategist, said Pyongyang's decision to return to "bilateral and multilateral" talks was a "step forward".

"It is also the only practical option left for the DPRK," Peng said, adding that Pyongyang must have realized that taking a hard-line on the nuclear issue, through nuclear testing or missile launches, would not serve the long-term interests of the country.

The DPRK has said that it cannot give up its nuclear arsenal as long as the United States continues with what it says is a "hostile policy" toward it.

Seoul had no immediate comment following Kim's remarks.

Xinhua-AP-Reuters; Huang Xiangyang contributed to this report