N.K. wants Japan, Russia out of talks
koreaherald.co.kr
Despite North Korea's apparent warming toward the notion of multilateral dialogue to resolve its nuclear standoff with the United States, any such discussion is likely to be held back by arguments over which countries will participate, officials said yesterday.
South Korea prefers the so-called "two plus four" model, featuring the two Koreas, the United States, China, Japan and Russia.
But North Korea and China are opposing the participation of Japan and Russia, insisting that they are not directly related to security concerns on the Korean Peninsula, said Seoul officials.
"The North sees no reason for Japan and Russia to join the multilateral talks because it wants to discuss the abolition of the armistice pact and the signing of a nonaggression pact with the United States during the forum," said a ranking official at the Foreign Ministry.
The armistice agreement, which ended the three-year Korean War in 1953, was signed by four combatants - the United Nations, the United States, North Korea and China.
"Instead, the North wants the European Union (EU) to participate in the multilateral forum in an apparent hope that the EU may play a leading role in providing economic aid to Pyongyang," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Seoul officials have said the multilateral talks, if opened, will incorporate not only the North's nuclear arms program but also whether the international community should provide economic support to the destitute communist state.
The United States has advocated a broader multilateral setting to include both Koreas, five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, Australia, Canada, and the EU. But Seoul officials said the North is uncomfortable with such a format.
Washington has persistently rejected Pyongyang's demand for direct negotiations to address the nuclear standoff and discuss other security issues.
In a significant turnaround, North Korea said Saturday it would consider any form of dialogue with the United States if Washington agrees to discuss economic aid and security assurances.
South Korea and the United States welcomed the North's softening of its demand for bilateral talks, regarding it as a positive development in resolving the nuclear issue.
The nuclear dispute started after the United States said last October that the North admitted to having a nuclear program using enriched uranium.
Since then, the North has expelled U.N. inspectors monitoring sealed nuclear reactors, declared that it was withdrawing from the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, and begun to reactivate its nuclear plant.
Pyongyang's changes in attitude came days after U.S.-led forces toppled the Saddam Hussein regime in a war against Iraq, which South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun said had "petrified" the North. |
