Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


        US: No Talks with NKorea Without Commitment to Denuclearization

   A senior United States diplomat says Washington has not seen enough
   concessions from North Korea to restart formal talks, despite easing
   tensions between Pyongyang and Seoul.
   U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Policy Glyn Davies said
   Tuesday that Pyongyang has not shown it is willing to abandon its
   nuclear weapons program as required under U.N. Security Council
   resolutions.
   "We need to see some sign that they are sincere about what is the
   central issue of the six-party process, which is the peaceful
   denuclearization of the Korean peninsula."
   Davies made his comments in Seoul after meeting with his South Korean
   counterpart, Cho Tae-yong, who was also pessimistic about the restart
   of six-party talks with the North.
   "The central goal of the six-party talks is denuclearization. North
   Korea announced that they are a nuclear country and conducted a nuclear
   test. Therefore, in order to resume the six-party talks, we need to be
   clear that this is a meeting for denuclearization, and we need to be
   sure that there will be progress towards denuclearization."
   The six-party talks have not been held since late 2008, when North
   Korea dropped out and subsequently conducted a second nuclear test,
   which it is banned from doing under U.N. sanctions.
   In February, Pyongyang conducted a third nuclear test. After the U.N.
   expanded sanctions in response, North Korea followed up with weeks of
   threats of nuclear war against South Korea and the United States.
   Only recently have tensions begun to die down, with North and South
   Korea agreeing to tentatively re-open a joint industrial complex that
   had been closed because of the dispute.
   North Korea has reportedly expressed willingness to rejoin the
   six-party negotiations. But it has rejected any conditions set by
   Washington, insisting that it be viewed as a nuclear power.
   China has recently said it hopes the six-party talks can soon restart.
   While Beijing is North Korea`s main ally, it has also expressed its
   opposition to nuclear weapons on the Korean peninsula.
   Davies plans to meet with Chinese nuclear envoy Wu Dawei in Beijing on
   Wednesday, before making a final stop in Tokyo.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/us-no-talks-with-nkorea-without-commi
   tment-to-denuclearization/1746562.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/us-no-talks-with-nkorea-without-commitment-to-denuclearization/1746562.html