Paper: US, Japan, S.Korea to talk on N.Korea on Aug 13
( 2003-08-08 10:24) (Agencies)
Diplomats from the United
States, Japan and South Korea will meet in Washington on August 13 and 14 to
coordinate policy on North Korea ahead of six-nation talks on the communist
state's nuclear weapons program, a Japanese newspaper said Friday.
The conservative Sankei Shimbun, quoting Japanese government sources, said
senior diplomats from the three countries would hold an "informal" meeting to
discuss a joint proposal they plan to present to North Korea.
The paper said the three nations had originally planned to conduct the
meeting during the week starting on August 18, but decided to bring it forward
as the six-nation talks may be held by the end of the month.
North Korea said this week that the six-nation meeting would be held in
Beijing "soon" but none of the participants, which also include China and
Russia, has given a specific date.
Thursday, another Japanese daily said North Korea wanted to hold the
six-country talks in the first week of September while China, the host, wants to
start them on August 21 or 25.
The Yomiuri Shimbun, reporting from Washington and quoting "related sources,"
said the United States also favored having the negotiations in August as the
annual meeting of the United Nation's General Assembly would be held in
September.
The current crisis over North Korea's nuclear program began last October
following Washington's announcement that Pyongyang was pursuing a covert nuclear
weapons program.
The six-way talks, if held, would come after months of confrontation between
Pyongyang, which had insisted on bilateral talks with the United States, and
Washington, which had demanded that neighboring states take part in any
talks.
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