6-party Talks Likely to Resume This Week

The six-party talks on ending North Korea’s nuclear program will likely resume in Beijing as early as Friday or Saturday.

AFP said Saturday last week that Dennis Wilder, senior director for East Asia at the U.S. National Security Council, made the announcement in a news conference on a plane heading for Japan with President George W. Bush. Bush will attend the G8 summit in Tokyo today through Wednesday.

Wilder said chief U.S. nuclear negotiator Christopher Hill will hold talks with his six-party counterparts on verifying Pyongyang’s reporting of its nuclear program and dismantlement of its nuclear facilities.

President Bush will also hold talks with Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda on North Korea’s nuclear disarmament.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura also hinted at the six-way talks reopening this week immediately after the G8 summit, according to Japanese media.

A Japanese government source said, “The six-party talks may be held Thursday at the earliest.”

South Korea will also discuss providing energy aid to North Korea in a working-level meeting in Beijing before the six-party talks resume. Seoul is the chair of the economic and energy assistance working group in the talks.

sechepa@donga.com iam@donga.com