U.S., North Korea Exchange Nuclear Proposals, Hold Bilateral Meeting in Beijing

U.S. and North Korean diplomats held a bilateral meeting today in Beijing to study proposals put forth by each side yesterday at six-party talks aimed at resolving the North Korean nuclear crisis, Reuters reported (see GSN, June 23).

Negotiators met for two hours this afternoon, the second day of talks, according to South Korean officials.

The United States presented a seven-page plan yesterday that would allow other nations to provide North Korea with energy aid and provide for the lifting of some U.S. sanctions and a “provisional security guarantee” to Pyongyang, according to the New York Times. 

In return, Pyongyang would be required within three months to provide complete details of all its nuclear activities, disable its nuclear weapons and allow inspections.

The proposal is based on a draft presented to the United States by South Korea earlier this month and modified by Washington, U.S. officials said (Joseph Kahn, New York Times, June 24).

For its part, North Korea offered to freeze its plutonium-based nuclear weapons program and allow verification inspections, in exchange for massive energy aid (Kim/Ueno, Reuters, June 24).

Japan for the first time announced it would provide energy aid to the impoverished North in exchange for a nuclear freeze, Agence France-Presse reported.

“Our country is prepared to join international energy assistance at the six-party talks if North Korea’s freeze satisfies such conditions as strict disclosure of information,” said Japan’s chief delegate to the talks, Mitoji Yabunaka.

He added that the freeze must cover “all nuclear programs” and that it should cover a “short period of time,” with the final goal being nuclear disarmament, according to AFP (Agence France-Presse, June 24).

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