CHINA/NORTH KOREA: U.S. nuclear envoy Glyn Davies arrives in Beijing for nuclear talks with his North Korean counterpart with the hopes of moving towards the resumption of long-halted six-party talks

Record ID: 326159

  • Title: CHINA/NORTH KOREA: U.S. nuclear envoy Glyn Davies arrives in Beijing for nuclear talks with his North Korean counterpart with the hopes of moving towards the resumption of long-halted six-party talks
  • Date: 23rd February 2012
  • Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (FEBRUARY 22, 2012) (REUTERS) U.S. NUCLEAR ENVOY GLYN DAVIES WALKING TO MEDIA PHOTOGRAPHER TAKING PHOTOS (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. NUCLEAR ENVOY GLYN DAVIES SAYING: "My hope, is that we can find a way to move forward with the North because of course I think it's in everyone's interest to try to get on to the next phase here which will be six-party talk
  • Embargoed: 9th March 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Korea, Democratic People's Republic of, China
  • City:
  • Country: Korea, Democratic People's Republic of
  • Topics: Politics,Technology
  • Reuters ID: LVA8F4GWNQSQW8FRWTQTOU48UO8Y
  • Story Text: U.S. nuclear envoy Glyn Davies arrived in Beijing on Wednesday (February 22) for nuclear talks with North Korea, in a bid to get the isolated state back to the long-halted six-party talks.
    The summit, attended by Davies and his North Korean counterpart Kim Kye-gwan, will take place in Beijing on Thursday (February 23).
    This will be the third meeting between the two sides following their talks in New York last July and in Geneva three months later and the first since the death of former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, who has been succeeded by his son Kim Jong-un.
    Davies told media in a hotel that he hoped he would encounter a co-operative North Korea.
    "My hope, is that we can find a way to move forward with the North because of course I think it's in everyone's interest to try to get on to the next phase here which will be six-party talks but that will be up to North Korea, and I hope that they are coming in a co-operative spirit, ready to discuss all of the issues that are of concern to us and that we will spend more time at our talks tomorrow discussing the future rather than dwelling on the past," he said.
    The six-party talks broke down in the final weeks of U.S. President George W. Bush's time in office.
    Efforts to resume the negotiations have been fruitless, while tensions increased in 2010 after North Korean's sinking of a South Korean warship and shelling of a South Korean island.
    Davies said the discussion would prioritize the denuclearization but also include other important topics including humanitarian aid to the impoverished nation.
    "Can we find a way forward on, in particular, the question of denuclearisation but also on these other issues that I've mentioned: non-proliferation, obviously humanitarian issues and human rights issues are important to us, regional stability, we think it's very important that North Korea quickly take up again its dialogue with its neighbours, in particular South Korea but also Japan. That's important," he said.
    However, the top U.S. envoy said the White House needed to see signs that North Korea's new leadership is willing to return to the six-party talks.
    "We first need to see signs that North Korea, is indeed prepared to take steps to reassure all of us, in particular the United States, I represented the United States, that they are sincere in getting back to fulfilling the obligations that they themselves made along with the other members of the six party talks," he said.
    China said it was supportive of the resumption of nuclear talks and urged all sides to return to the discussion table.
    "I hope that all sides involved can keep the momentum of staying in touch and talks, continue to be committed to sorting out the disagreements through dialogue and negotiation, endeavour to resume the six-party talks as soon as possible. China is willing to work together with all sides to make constructive efforts for this," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson told a daily news conference in Beijing.
    Meanwhile, North Korea warned on Wednesday (February 22) it would take strong actions against South Korea over next month's nuclear security summit to be held in Seoul.
    The North called the summit "an intolerable grave provocation".
    "We will never overlook such a nuclear conference, which is harming our dignified nation and causing more strains on the peninsula and in the region, but we will decisively smash the anti-DPRK nuclear racket by disturbers and wreckers of peace with the invincible might of Songun (military-first policy)," the North's state-run television KRT reported.
    South Korea is scheduled to host the Nuclear Security Summit next month.
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