Diplomats Open Working-Level North Korea Denuclearization Talks

Diplomats met today in China to begin a two-day session of working-level talks on North Korea’s nuclear program, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, Aug. 15).

The talks in the northeastern city of Shenyang are intended to work out technical details of Pyongyang’s full declaration and ultimate disablement of its nuclear complex.

“In this working group we will focus our energy on discussing how to move forward the process of Korean Peninsula denuclearization,” said lead Chinese negotiator Wu Dawei.

North Korea to date has received 50,000 tons of fuel oil for halting operations at its Yongbyon nuclear site under international supervision. 

It stands to receive another 950,000 tons or equivalent aid, along with security and diplomatic benefits, for carrying out the second phase of a February denuclearization deal.

Chief U.S. negotiator Christopher Hill reaffirmed that the declaration must involve North Korea’s suspected uranium enrichment effort.

“I think the uranium enrichment process needs to be addressed in the context of the declaration of programs and I think we have an ongoing effort to do that,” he said.

Questions also remain about the amount of weapons material produced at the Yongbyon nuclear reactor before its closure, AFP reported (Peter Harmsen, Agence France-Presse/Spacewar.com, Aug. 16).

The meeting is not expected to close with a schedule for further North Korean denuclearization actions, the Associated Press reported.

“What we are trying to do is make sure that we have a common understanding of technical tasks, so that when we sit down at the plenary (meeting in September) we won’t be talking about things for the first time,” Hill said (Anita Chang, Associated Press/NDTV.com, Aug. 16).

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