South Korea's foreign minister said Wednesday that the primary goal at next week's six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear arms program is to hammer out an agreement on the "early steps" with which to implement the Sept. 19 joint statement.
He refused to provide either details of what the measures will be or predict if any tangible results will be produced at the talks due to start on Monday.
"It is important to enter the early stage of implementing the Sept. 19 joint statement. It is surely in the interest of North Korea," Song Min-soon said in his first press briefing as South Korea's top diplomat. "Other countries concerned will be able to take active and resilient corresponding measures."
He was referring to last year's agreement among the two Koreas, the United States, China, Russia, and Japan, in which Pyongyang vowed to abandon its nuclear program in exchange for security guarantees and economic aid from its dialogue partners.
Song, formerly the country's top nuclear envoy, said it was hard to set a detailed standard to determine the success or failure of the upcoming talks.
"It requires a long process, and it is difficult to say how much should be achieved during a few days of negotiations," he said. "As the six nations have already set the direction of their future steps and the framework of principles via the Sept. 19 joint statement, they should reach a compromise on tangible measures."
When asked to elaborate on the early steps, he said they are a kind of preparatory measures to make North Korea begin the process of dismantling its nuclear program as early as possible.
With regard to South Korea's role in the disarmament talks, he said, "Each country has its own assets and means. South Korea will participate in the talks, taking into account the country's unique geopolitical situation and position."
He also expressed hopes that North Korea will make efforts to produce tangible results.
"South Korea will play a constructive role for progress in the talks through smooth communication with the North, as well as close consultations with the U.S. and other parties concerned," he said.
Song also said he would visit the U.S. and other nations joining the talks in the near future for discussions on the nuclear crisis, but he said no concrete schedule has been set yet.
Seoul, Dec. 13 (Yonhap News)
Seoul aims to agree on early steps for dismantlement of N. Korean nuke |
