The Hindu : International : U.S. not for direct talks with North Korea

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 13, 2005

International

International

U.S. not for direct talks with North Korea

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON, FEB. 12. The U.S. has ruled out one-on-one talks with North Korea but has assured Pyongyang that it has no intention to attack it because of its nuclear programme.

"We've made it very clear that no one has an interest in attacking North Korea," said the White House spokesman, Scott McClellan. But Pyongyang must engage in talks with regional neighbours if it had the desire to communicate with Washington.

"I think all parties in the region recognise that they have a stake in North Korea ending its nuclear weapons programme. We made very clear our view — it is a view shared by other parties to the talks — [that] the six- party talks are the way to resolve this matter in a peaceful and diplomatic way," he said.

A State Department spokesman repeated Washington's stand on talks. "We do speak directly to the North Koreans in the context of the six-party discussions. We have a New York channel that we use occasionally to communicate with the North Koreans".

Peaceful solution sought

P. S. Suryanarayana reports from Singapore:

South Korea said today it agreed with the U.S. to pursue negotiations to resolve the crisis in "a peaceful and diplomatic way." This "consensus" followed the South Korean Foreign Minister, Ban Ki-moon's talks with the U.S. Vice-President, Dick Cheney, in Washington.

North Korea said the issue was not the format of parleys but the "hostile policy" of the U.S., according to the DPRK's Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Han Song-ryol. In an "interview" to a South Korean newspaper, Mr. Han was reported to have said "we are coming forward if the causes and conditions are met for the six-party talks."

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