N. Korea talks may end without agreement
(AP)
Updated: 2005-08-03 07:11

"We have to find a way to get (North Korea) out of this nuclear business," he said.

The Chinese hosts of the talks were "really trying to bring these negotiations to a conclusion of some kind in the next few days, with the idea that we would not be here for the next few weeks," Hill said.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs and top U.S. negotiator for the six-party talks Christopher Hill listens to reporters at his hotel in Beijing August 2, 2005. [newsphoto]

"There are five parties that are in pretty close agreement on those principles and the key question is whether North Korea is willing to make the strategic decision it needs to make to go forward," U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick said in Beijing, where he was on a visit separate from the nuclear talks.

The North's main envoy said Tuesday evening there "remain differences in opinions" between Pyongyang and Washington, making his first public comments since the arms talks began July 26.

"Our decision is to give up nuclear weapons and programs related to nuclear weapons if the United States removes its nuclear threat against us and when trust is built," Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan said.

Still, Pyongyang hopes to "narrow these differences as much as we can to present results," he said.

The North has alleged the United States has nuclear weapons in South Korea, a claim Seoul and Washington deny. However, the North's reference to a U.S. threat could also mean other forces in Asia, where the U.S. military has maintained a strong presence since the end of World War II.

When asked about Kim's comments, Hill responded: "The United States is not threatening anybody."

No details of any draft statements have been released officially, but reports have said it would mention energy aid and a security guarantee for Pyongyang, as well as eventually normalizing relations with Washington.

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