Bangkok, Oct 20: US President George W. Bush and South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun met today to discuss trade, Iraq, and a new compromise aimed at reviving efforts to defuse the North Korean nuclear weapons crisis. "We're making good progress on peacefully solving the issue with North Korea," said Bush. "And during this breakfast I will share ideas and listen to ideas from President Roh as to how to move the process forward."
The two leaders sat down for talks on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, a day after the US leader said he would back written security guarantees to Pyongyang but not a formal bilateral treaty.
"These are important consultations with a close friend," declared the US President, who says that any non-aggression pact would have to involve the five nations involved in talks with North Korea, not just the US.
Roh said he hoped that those consultations, grouping China, Japan, North and South Korea, Russia and the United States, would resume "in the near future" following inconclusive talks in Beijing in August.
The South Korean leader also praised Bush for trying to forge ahead on the "critical issue".
Bureau Report