- Title: UNITED STATES: NORTH KOREA RESUMES TALKS WITH UNITED STATES IN NEW YORK
- Date: 4th September 1998
- Summary: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (SEPTEMBER 4, 1998) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 1. PAN UP/SCU EXTERIOR U.S. MISSION (2 SHOTS) 0.16 2. MV MEDIA OUTSIDE MISSION 0.20 3. TRACK NORTH KOREAN VICE FOREIGN MINISTER KIM GYE-KWAN ARRIVING 0.52 4. SCU PRESS OUTSIDE MISSION 1.00 5. PAN DOWN/SV U.S. MISSION/U.N. FLAG (2 SHOTS) 1.18 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 19th September 1998 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- City:
- Country: USA
- Reuters ID: LVA33J227UN3H9VPTU7C910RCA3I
- Story Text: In a surprise twist that has raised military tension in and around Japan, North Korea resumed talks with the United States on Friday (September 04) after Washington and its partners indefinitely suspended a deal to fund a landmark nuclear energy project following the missile incident over Japan.
The North Korean negotiators, who called off planned talks in New York earlier this week, and who failed to show up for scheduled talks Thursday (September 3) arrived late in the afternoon on Friday (September 4).
Before the cancellation, U.S.and North Korean officials had been meeting this week and last week in New York over various issues, including intelligence reports that thousands of North Koreans were digging an underground installation at a vast site near a former nuclear research centre at Yongbyon.
North Korea raised new alarms about weapons proliferation in Asia when it test-fired a new longer-range missile over Japanese islands and into the Pacific Ocean on Monday.
As a result, the United States, South Korea, Japan and the European Union indefinitely shelved a deal to fund construction of two nuclear power reactors for the North.
The four countries -- partners in KEDO (Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organisation) -- were to adopt an agreement on Tuesday establishing the amount each would pay for the nearly 5 billion U.S.dollars project.
North Korea and the United States agreed four years ago that Pyongyang would freeze its nuclear programme in exchange for two light-water reactors to be built by a consortium led by the United States, Japan and South Korea.
Japan had agreed to pay 1 billion U.S.dollars as its share of the 4.6 billion U.S.dollar cost.Seoul agreed to pay 70 percent of the total cost, subject to parliamentary approval, KEDO has said.
The United States promised to deliver 500,000 tonnes of fuel oil annually as an alternative energy source until the reactors were commissioned.
But the U.S.Congress has blocked funds for the oil supplies because of reports North Korea supplied missiles to Pakistan.
Charles Kartman, the chief U.S.negotiator with North Korea, was on Capitol Hill on Wednesday discussing with Congress what he has heard so far from the North Koreans and where the Clinton administration hopes to go now with the negotiations.
U.S.officials said Kartman would encourage congressmen who have become increasingly vocal in their opposition to the KEDO agreement to support it.
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