NK offers talks with US in bid to ease tensions
Source: Agencies |
June 17, 2013, Monday
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NORTH Korea yesterday offered high-level talks with the United States to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula, but the White House said any talks must involve Pyongyang taking action toward scrapping its nuclear weapons.
The offer came only days after North Korea abruptly canceled planned official talks with South Korea, the first planned talks in more than two years. North Korea blamed South Korea for scuttling discussions that sought to mend estranged ties between them.
The North Korea National Defense Commission in a statement carried by KCNA news agency yesterday said Washington can pick a date and place for talks and the two sides can discuss a range of issues, but there should be no preconditions.
"In order to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula and to achieve regional peace and safety, we propose to hold high-level talks between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the United States," said the spokesman for North Korea's defense commission in the statement, using North Korea's official name.
"If the US is truly interested in securing regional peace and safety and easing tensions, it should not mention of preconditions for the talks," the statement said.
The United States will discuss the new offer in meetings with Japan and South Korea in Washington tomorrow and on Wednesday, a senior administration official said.
"We have always favored dialogue and, in fact, have open lines of communication with the DPRK," said Caitlin Hayden, spokeswoman for the National Security Council.
"Our desire is to have credible negotiations with the North Koreans, but those talks must involve North Korea living up to its obligations to the world, including compliance with UN Security Council Resolutions, and ultimately result in denuclearization," Hayden said in a statement.
"We will judge North Korea by its actions, and not its words and look forward to seeing steps that show North Korea is ready to abide by its commitments and obligations," she said.
In the statement, Pyongyang reiterated it was willing to discuss disarmament but the world should also be denuclearized, including its southern neighbor.
North Korea agreed to a denuclearization-for-aid deal in 2005 but later backed out. It has said its nuclear arms are a "treasured sword" that it will not abandon.
Pyongyang also said it wants the US to sign a peace treaty formally ending the 1950-53 Korean War. Korea was divided after World War Two and when the Korean War ended in an armistice rather than a permanent peace treaty, it left the two countries technically at war.
North Korea's 30-year-old leader, Kim Jong-un, took power in December 2011 and has since carried out two long-range rocket launches and a nuclear weapons test, as well as a campaign of threats against South Korea and the US.
Threats have waned in the past month, showing signs of easing tensions such as proposing talks with South Korea.
The talks had been intended to discuss resuming operations of joint commercial projects and families split during the Korean War. In the coming days, two Koreas will mark the 60th anniversary of the Korean War and the armistice.
The offer came only days after North Korea abruptly canceled planned official talks with South Korea, the first planned talks in more than two years. North Korea blamed South Korea for scuttling discussions that sought to mend estranged ties between them.
The North Korea National Defense Commission in a statement carried by KCNA news agency yesterday said Washington can pick a date and place for talks and the two sides can discuss a range of issues, but there should be no preconditions.
"In order to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula and to achieve regional peace and safety, we propose to hold high-level talks between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the United States," said the spokesman for North Korea's defense commission in the statement, using North Korea's official name.
"If the US is truly interested in securing regional peace and safety and easing tensions, it should not mention of preconditions for the talks," the statement said.
The United States will discuss the new offer in meetings with Japan and South Korea in Washington tomorrow and on Wednesday, a senior administration official said.
"We have always favored dialogue and, in fact, have open lines of communication with the DPRK," said Caitlin Hayden, spokeswoman for the National Security Council.
"Our desire is to have credible negotiations with the North Koreans, but those talks must involve North Korea living up to its obligations to the world, including compliance with UN Security Council Resolutions, and ultimately result in denuclearization," Hayden said in a statement.
"We will judge North Korea by its actions, and not its words and look forward to seeing steps that show North Korea is ready to abide by its commitments and obligations," she said.
In the statement, Pyongyang reiterated it was willing to discuss disarmament but the world should also be denuclearized, including its southern neighbor.
North Korea agreed to a denuclearization-for-aid deal in 2005 but later backed out. It has said its nuclear arms are a "treasured sword" that it will not abandon.
Pyongyang also said it wants the US to sign a peace treaty formally ending the 1950-53 Korean War. Korea was divided after World War Two and when the Korean War ended in an armistice rather than a permanent peace treaty, it left the two countries technically at war.
North Korea's 30-year-old leader, Kim Jong-un, took power in December 2011 and has since carried out two long-range rocket launches and a nuclear weapons test, as well as a campaign of threats against South Korea and the US.
Threats have waned in the past month, showing signs of easing tensions such as proposing talks with South Korea.
The talks had been intended to discuss resuming operations of joint commercial projects and families split during the Korean War. In the coming days, two Koreas will mark the 60th anniversary of the Korean War and the armistice.
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