Kerry wins endorsement from key constituency -
... "The negotiating process is stalled. It is clear they have just refused to participate in talks before the American presidential election," said Alexander Losyukov, who was Russia's negotiator at the talks until this past spring and is now Russia's ambassador to Japan. He added in an interview last week: "There are expectations in Pyongyang of a change in American policy. Probably they are wrong." Kerry has indicated that if elected president, he would pursue direct bilateral talks with North Korea within the existing six-country framework of the United States, North Korea, South Korea, China, Japan and Russia. However, he has sharply criticized Bush for promising to pull out one-third of the 36,000 American troops in South Korea without winning any reciprocal military concession from Pyongyang.
.
"The North Koreans made it very clear, politely, that they want Mr. Kerry to win the election," said Kenneth Quinones, a former U.S. diplomat who was in Pyongyang this month for a Korean studies conference.
...
iht.com |
