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Six-party talks to focus on total de-nuclearisation

Pallavi Aiyar

Delegates in Beijing for second phase parleys

Beijing: Negotiators to the six-party talks aimed at dismantling the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK or North Korea) nuclear weapons programme arrived in Beijing on Tuesday, setting the stage for the latest round of negotiations that will officially begin on Wednesday.

The two-day talks come days after the DPRK shut down its sole operating nuclear reactor at Yongbyon. This was the first concrete step taken by the DPRK towards implementation of a breakthrough disarmament accord that had been brokered by the six-party process in February.

According to that agreement, the DPRK committed itself to an eventual complete abandonment of all its nuclear weapons in return for energy aid, diplomatic concessions and security guarantees.

The talks this week are expected to focus on ensuring the DPRK declares all of its nuclear programmes, followed by their disabling and finally their dismantlement.

One potential flash point in the coming days may be the accusation by the U.S. that the North has uranium enrichment projects, something Pyongyang vigorously denies.

Christopher Hill, the chief U.S. negotiator met his North Korean counterpart, Kim Kye Gwan, in Beijing on Tuesday although neither side revealed details of what was discussed, calling it a “casual chat”. Before leaving Pyongyang for Beijing, however, Mr Kim told reporters at the airport that closing the Yongbyon reactor meant the negotiation process was moving into the second phase.

“There should be discussion on how to define the targets of the second phase, the obligations for each party, and also the sequence of the actions,” he said.

The DPRK had said in earlier statements that its continued cooperation at the talks is contingent on the U.S. lifting all sanctions against it, including removing it from a list of terrorism-sponsoring states. The six parties involved in the nuclear dialogue are the United States, Russia, Japan, the two Koreas and the host, China.

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