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North Korea responds to US offer of written assurances
Washington, Oct 27: North Korea has contacted the United States over an offer to give written security assurances in return for the Communist state ending its nuclear weapons programme, Secretary of State Colin Powell said yesterday.
Washington, Oct 27: North Korea has contacted the United States over an offer to give written security assurances in return for the Communist state ending its nuclear weapons programme, Secretary of State Colin Powell said yesterday.
Powell called it a positive sign, but warned that there are still "long days and nights" of negotiations ahead to end the nuclear crisis on the Korean peninsula.
"We would only enter into an agreement that can be verified," he insisted.
North Korea signalled a shift in stance on Saturday when it said it was ready to consider President George W. Bush's offer of written security guarantees in return for scrapping its nuclear weapons programme.
China, which has the closest links of any country with the isolated regime, immediately welcomed the North's move as a "positive gesture".
Powell said North Korean officials contacted US counterparts last Friday but did not say where. Normally the two sides carry out unofficial negotiations through their missions at the United Nations in New York.
The Secretary of State said that since the United States had said last year it had no intention of invading or attacking North Korea the two sides have been "doing diplomatic dances" which gathered pace when President George W. Bush went to an Asia-Pacific leaders summit in Bangkok last week.
North Korea has demanded a full non-aggression pact but Bush reaffirmed his offer of some form of multilateral security assurances during talks with China's President Hu Jintao in Bangkok.
Bureau Report
Powell called it a positive sign, but warned that there are still "long days and nights" of negotiations ahead to end the nuclear crisis on the Korean peninsula.
"We would only enter into an agreement that can be verified," he insisted.
North Korea signalled a shift in stance on Saturday when it said it was ready to consider President George W. Bush's offer of written security guarantees in return for scrapping its nuclear weapons programme.
China, which has the closest links of any country with the isolated regime, immediately welcomed the North's move as a "positive gesture".
Powell said North Korean officials contacted US counterparts last Friday but did not say where. Normally the two sides carry out unofficial negotiations through their missions at the United Nations in New York.
The Secretary of State said that since the United States had said last year it had no intention of invading or attacking North Korea the two sides have been "doing diplomatic dances" which gathered pace when President George W. Bush went to an Asia-Pacific leaders summit in Bangkok last week.
North Korea has demanded a full non-aggression pact but Bush reaffirmed his offer of some form of multilateral security assurances during talks with China's President Hu Jintao in Bangkok.
Bureau Report