Seraphim
02-26-2004, 06:01 AM
BEIJING - North Korea (news - web sites) on Thursday proposed "the comprehensive stopping of nuclear activities," a Chinese government spokesman said. He said the details were still being discussed among the six nations meeting in the Chinese capital.
The development, in the middle of delicate talks about the North's nuclear ambitions, represented the most significant potential breakthrough since the stalemate between Washington and Pyongyang began in October 2002.
"The various parties welcomed the proposition from the North Korean side for the comprehensive stopping of nuclear activities," Chinese spokesman Liu Jianchao said at a briefing.
"As for the details and specific arrangements for stopping the nuclear activities, it is still being discussed among the various parties," he said.
His comments just after the official Xinhua News Agency cited Alexander Losyukov, head of the Russian delegation and his country's deputy foreign minister, as saying North Korea showed "readiness" to abolish its nuclear weapons program.
According to Losyukov, the North would retain its nuclear program related to "peaceful purpose," Xinhua said. That's a major step but one somewhat less than what China described.
The announcement came during a second round of Beijing-based talks on the North's nuclear program. Participating in the talks are the Koreas, the United States, China, Russia and Japan.
The United States has demanded an immediate dismantling of the North's nuclear program. Pyongyang says it wants aid and security guarantees before it begins to do so.
The development, in the middle of delicate talks about the North's nuclear ambitions, represented the most significant potential breakthrough since the stalemate between Washington and Pyongyang began in October 2002.
"The various parties welcomed the proposition from the North Korean side for the comprehensive stopping of nuclear activities," Chinese spokesman Liu Jianchao said at a briefing.
"As for the details and specific arrangements for stopping the nuclear activities, it is still being discussed among the various parties," he said.
His comments just after the official Xinhua News Agency cited Alexander Losyukov, head of the Russian delegation and his country's deputy foreign minister, as saying North Korea showed "readiness" to abolish its nuclear weapons program.
According to Losyukov, the North would retain its nuclear program related to "peaceful purpose," Xinhua said. That's a major step but one somewhat less than what China described.
The announcement came during a second round of Beijing-based talks on the North's nuclear program. Participating in the talks are the Koreas, the United States, China, Russia and Japan.
The United States has demanded an immediate dismantling of the North's nuclear program. Pyongyang says it wants aid and security guarantees before it begins to do so.