05.08.2003, 00:31
Talks on NKorea nuke plans to start
03:32:17 È.Ù
Seoul, Aug 4 - North Korea said Monday that six-way talks on ending a prolonged crisis concerning its nuclear weapons ambitions would take place soon in Beijing.
"Six-party talks for a solution to the nuclear issue between the DPRK (North Korea) and the US will be held in Beijing soon thanks to the former's initiative and peaceful efforts," a foreign ministry spokesman said through Pyongyang's state media.
Details and timing of the talks are still being discussed, but US and South Korean officials have said they could come as early as this month.
Other officials have mentioned September as a target date for talks.
Pyongyang said Friday it had accepted the six-way forum for talks to include North and South Korea, Russia, Japan, China and the United States.
It claimed the six-way forum for talks was its own idea, and said Washington had accepted one-on-one talks as part of the multilateral meeting.
"It is an expression of our utmost magnanimity as the proposal has come from the stand to solve the nuclear issue between the two countries peacefully through dialogue in any case," the North's spokesman said.
He said the talks would "clearly show the world community whether the US has a true willingness to make a switch over in its policy towards the DPRK or not."
South Korea's Assistant Unification Minister Shin Eon-Sang told Yonhap News Agency Monday that talks could take place in early September.
03:32:17 È.Ù
Seoul, Aug 4 - North Korea said Monday that six-way talks on ending a prolonged crisis concerning its nuclear weapons ambitions would take place soon in Beijing.
"Six-party talks for a solution to the nuclear issue between the DPRK (North Korea) and the US will be held in Beijing soon thanks to the former's initiative and peaceful efforts," a foreign ministry spokesman said through Pyongyang's state media.
Details and timing of the talks are still being discussed, but US and South Korean officials have said they could come as early as this month.
Other officials have mentioned September as a target date for talks.
Pyongyang said Friday it had accepted the six-way forum for talks to include North and South Korea, Russia, Japan, China and the United States.
It claimed the six-way forum for talks was its own idea, and said Washington had accepted one-on-one talks as part of the multilateral meeting.
"It is an expression of our utmost magnanimity as the proposal has come from the stand to solve the nuclear issue between the two countries peacefully through dialogue in any case," the North's spokesman said.
He said the talks would "clearly show the world community whether the US has a true willingness to make a switch over in its policy towards the DPRK or not."
South Korea's Assistant Unification Minister Shin Eon-Sang told Yonhap News Agency Monday that talks could take place in early September.