Date:09/04/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/09/stories/2008040955091400.htm

International

U.S., North Korea ‘narrow differences’

P.S. Suryanarayana

SINGAPORE: The U.S. and North Korea held “substantive discussions” here on Tuesday to prepare the ground for the resumption of the six-party parleys on denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

North Korea’s chief delegate to the six-party talks, Kim Kye-gwan, later said the differences with the U.S. had been “narrowed a lot,” while the chief U.S. negotiator, Christopher Hill, said it was “a good day [of talks] in Singapore.”

Mr. Hill said the North Koreans “do understand the time sensitivity” at stake, so that their denuclearisation could be speeded up.

He said North Korea was told of the “need to tee up” the unfulfilled “elements of Phase Two” of the ongoing six-party process. One such key element was the perceived delay on the part of North Koreans to give a “complete and correct declaration” regarding all their nuclear programmes, including the existing arsenal and the present and planned activities.