CHINA: SIGNS OF PROGRESS ON SECOND DAY OF SIX-PARTY TALKS ON NORTH KOREA NUCLEAR PROGRAMME.

Record ID: 584909

  • Title: CHINA: SIGNS OF PROGRESS ON SECOND DAY OF SIX-PARTY TALKS ON NORTH KOREA NUCLEAR PROGRAMME.
  • Date: 27th July 2005
  • Summary: (W2) BEIJING, CHINA (JULY 27, 2005) (REUTERS) 1. GV/PAN: RUSSIAN CONVOY ARRIVING AT MEETING VENUE 0.05 2. MV: SOLDIER 0.10 3. GV/PAN: U.S. DELEGATION ARRIVING 0.24 4. GV/PAN: JAPANESE DELEGATION ARRIVING 0.35 5. GV/PAN: U.S. ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE CHRISTOPHER HILL WALKING OUT OF HOTEL 0.44 6. GV/PAN: SOUTH KOREAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER SONG MIN-SOON WALKING OUT, WALKS UP TO MICROPHONES 0.56 7. (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) SOUTH KOREAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER, SONG MIN-SOON SAYING: "We will see whether there will be a narrowing (in each country's position), and the official position of each country will come out today and we will find out how big the differences are between each country's position after today's opening speeches. The South Korean delegation will spell out its position today." 1.11 8. MV/PAN: SONG MIN-SOON LEAVING 1.16 9. LV: MEETING VENUE (3 SHOTS) 1.27 10. GV/PAN: U.S. ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE CHRISTOPHER HILL ENTERING HOTEL LOBBY, WALKING TO WAITING MEDIA 1.41 11. (SOUNDBITE)(English) HILL, SAYING: "Well we had a number of, first of all we had the first sort of major plenary session. So we exchanged views on a lot of the issues. Each delegation gave a certain lengthy presentation. I don't think there are any surprises there. We're all going to work toward a statement of agreed principles. We're going to be probably doing some drafting on that in the next few days. I can't say exactly when that's going to start. We're trying to sort of narrow the scope, to figure out which issues we can address, only to say it's complicated and there's a lot of work we all have to do. But I think there's also a real spirit that we should all really try to accomplish something." 2.30 12. (SOUNDBITE) (English) HILL, SAYING: "Well, the North Koreans made a presentation. They spoke about our June '04 presentation, which was their formal statement about the June '04 presentation. They obviously had their concerns about it. They laid out their views and it was useful to hear their views in this formal setting. Well, we obviously have some differences with them on the sequencing of these issues. We've got to make sure that everyone remembers, especially the DPRK, what the purposes of this meeting is and it's to really figure out a way they can dismantle these nuclear weapons, which, here we are in the 21th century and there's just no reason why a country should be building up a nuclear arsenal. So thank you very much." 3.37 13. GV: HILL LEAVING 3.45 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 11th August 2005 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BEIJING, CHINA
  • Country: China
  • Reuters ID: LVA3X1LTKY2V5OJEK2UP946AAFNC
  • Story Text: Signs of progress on second day of six-party talks
    over North Korea's nuclear programme.



    Six-party talks aimed at ending the crisis over
    North Korea's nuclear ambitions entered a second day in
    Beijing on Wednesday (July 27, 2005) amid positive signs from
    both Washington and Pyongyang that have raised hopes for
    progress, although the United States said North Korea had
    reacted coolly to Washington's proposals to end Pyongyang's
    nuclear programme.

    Washington offered in June 2004 to provide security
    guarantees and aid in return for Pyongyang promising to
    dismantle its arsenal.

    "Well we had a number of, first of all we had the first
    sort of major plenary session. So we exchanged views on a
    lot of the issues. Each delegation gave a certain lengthy
    presentation. I don't think there are any surprises there.

    We're all going to work towards a statement of agreed
    principles. We're going to be probably doing some drafting
    on that in the next few days. I can't say exactly when
    that's going to start", said U.S. Assistant Secretary of
    State Christopher Hill, adding that there are still some
    differences.

    "The North Koreans made a presentation. They spoke
    about our June '04 presentation, which was their formal
    statement about the June '04 presentation. They obviously
    had their concerns about it. They laid out their views and
    it was useful to hear their views in this formal setting",
    said Hill, chief negotiator for the United States.

    Pyongyang has insisted on security guarantees and aid
    pledges before it moves to scrap its weapons programme. A
    senior U.S. official told reporters the North Koreans had
    objected to the proposal that they should move first. The
    U.S. official said the elements laid out in the June 2004
    proposal remained the basis of Washington's position but
    hinted that there might be some flexibility on timing.

    The atmosphere surrounding the long-delayed fourth
    round of discussions between the two Koreas, the United
    States, Russia, Japan and China has been upbeat, but few
    expect a breakthrough.

    The Wednesday session was behind closed doors. The
    United States held rare one-on-one meetings with North
    Korea on Monday (July 25) and Tuesday (July 26).

    The United States stood by its position that improved
    ties, security guarantees and energy aid could only come
    after North Korea scrapped its nuclear weapons programmes.

    Three previous rounds saw no progress and Japan warned
    that failure to gain concrete results this time would call
    the credibility of the talks into question.


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