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North Korea: Weapons Program Is Negotiable, Pyongyang Says Pyongyang has offered to negotiate its nuclear weapons program with the United States, saying in a series of statements released last week through the North Korean mission to the United Nations that it is open to ending the program (see GSN, Nov. 1). “Everything will be negotiable,” including an end to North Korea’s uranium-enrichment program, Pyongyang said, also offering to open the country’s uranium facilities to international inspections. North Korea also said, however, that it would retain its enrichment program until the United States agrees to begin discussions. North Korean officials added that if the United States continues to refuse to talk, they would welcome the efforts of an intermediary such as former U.S. President Jimmy Carter. “Everything will be negotiable,” Pyongyang said in one of the statements issued through Ambassador Han Song Ryol of the mission at the United Nations. “Our government will resolve all U.S. security concerns through the talks, if your government has a will to end its hostile policy.” In an interview with the New York Times, Han said Pyongyang has been “stunned” over the constant refusal of the United States to begin discussions on the nuclear issue. In North Korea, “the interpretation is that the U.S. is preparing for a war,” Han said. “There must be a continuing dialogue. If both sides sit together, the matter can be resolved peacefully and quickly” (Philip Shenon, New York Times, Nov. 3). U.S. Refusal The Bush administration yesterday rejected North Korea’s offer to begin discussions on its nuclear weapons program, saying such talks could not begin until the program is ended. “North Korea knows what it needs to do,” said White House press secretary Ari Fleischer. “It needs to dismantle its nuclear program and honor its treaty obligations.” The United States plans to continue to pressure North Korea to end its nuclear weapons program through U.S. allies in the region, Fleischer said (see GSN, Oct. 22). “We continue to talk to our allies about the approach to take, so North Korea will proceed to honor their word,” he said. “North Korea in 1994 entered into a quid pro quo, and it’s inappropriate for North Korea to say that we will walk away from our quid and ask for more quo. They entered into an agreement, they should abide by the agreement, and that’s why we’re working in concert with our allies,” Fleischer said (Philip Shenon, New York Times, Nov. 4). European Union Halts KEDO Funding Meanwhile, the European Union has decided to withhold its 2003 funding to the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization, which oversees the 1994 Agreed Framework, following North Korea’s admission of its nuclear weapons program, EU sources said Friday (see GSN, Oct. 31). EU officials decided to reconsider providing the almost $20 million to KEDO “to say that we are not happy with you (North Korea) if you do not do something” to address concerns, an EU source said. The EU Parliament is expected to conduct another round of discussions on the 2003 budget this month and could decide to release the funding, according to the Kyodo News. The funding might be released to KEDO if North Korea has given up its nuclear weapons program and agrees to abide by international nonproliferation agreements, the EU sources said (Shogo Kawakita, Kyodo News, Nov. 1). For further information, see:
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