The US and its partners were pressing North Korea to give up nuclear weapons development and discussing ways of offering aid in exchange as they prepared for high-level talks today on the dispute.
Diplomats from the North, the US and four other countries were meeting yesterday at a Chinese government guesthouse to discuss the agenda for a third round of talks on Washington's demand that Pyongyang abandon its weapons ambitions.
US officials said Washington and its allies are working on a plan to provide assistance to North Korea's faltering economy if the isolated dictatorship commits to dismantling its weapons program.
PHOTO: AFP
At issue is when North Korea could start getting aid, and from whom.
The North wants aid in exchange for an initial freeze of its nuclear program. But the US has said it would offer assistance only once North Korea proves its willingness to undergo a "complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantling" of its program.
Under the plan that was discussed ahead of the talks that start today, the US wouldn't give assistance, but Japan and South Korea would provide aid in stages, a senior Bush administration official said in Washington.
North Korea has suffered food shortages and other problems since disclosing in the mid-1990s that its state-run farm system had collapsed after decades of mismanagement and the loss of Soviet subsidies.
Experts organized by the UN have been visiting the North in recent months to assess its needs for energy and other assistance in preparation for possible aid packages.
In Washington, US Secretary of State Colin Powell on Monday promised a "spirit of flexibility" in the talks.
In Tokyo, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda said Tuesday that North Korea appeared to be cooperating more actively in the talks and he expressed hope for "major progress."
"It seems North Korea is more actively trying to explain its policy to other countries this time," Hosoda said at a news conference. "The country has always demonstrated strong rejection to the others, but not this time."
A new online voting system aimed at boosting turnout among the Philippines’ millions of overseas workers ahead of Monday’s mid-term elections has been marked by confusion and fears of disenfranchisement. Thousands of overseas Filipino workers have already cast their ballots in the race dominated by a bitter feud between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and his impeached vice president, Sara Duterte. While official turnout figures are not yet publicly available, data from the Philippine Commission on Elections (COMELEC) showed that at least 134,000 of the 1.22 million registered overseas voters have signed up for the new online system, which opened on April 13. However,
EUROPEAN FUTURE? Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama says only he could secure EU membership, but challenges remain in dealing with corruption and a brain drain Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama seeks to win an unprecedented fourth term, pledging to finally take the country into the EU and turn it into a hot tourist destination with some help from the Trump family. The artist-turned-politician has been pitching Albania as a trendy coastal destination, which has helped to drive up tourism arrivals to a record 11 million last year. US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, also joined in the rush, pledging to invest US$1.4 billion to turn a largely deserted island into a luxurious getaway. Rama is expected to win another term after yesterday’s vote. The vote would
ALLIES: Calling Putin his ‘old friend,’ Xi said Beijing stood alongside Russia ‘in the face of the international counter-current of unilateralism and hegemonic bullying’ Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) yesterday was in Moscow for a state visit ahead of the Kremlin’s grand Victory Day celebrations, as Ukraine accused Russia’s army of launching air strikes just hours into a supposed truce. More than 20 foreign leaders were in Russia to attend a vast military parade today marking 80 years since the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, taking place three years into Russia’s offensive in Ukraine. Putin ordered troops into Ukraine in February 2022 and has marshaled the memory of Soviet victory against Nazi Germany to justify his campaign and rally society behind the offensive,
Myanmar’s junta chief met Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) for the first time since seizing power, state media reported yesterday, the highest-level meeting with a key ally for the internationally sanctioned military leader. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing led a military coup in 2021, overthrowing Myanmar’s brief experiment with democracy and plunging the nation into civil war. In the four years since, his armed forces have battled dozens of ethnic armed groups and rebel militias — some with close links to China — opposed to its rule. The conflict has seen Min Aung Hlaing draw condemnation from rights groups and pursued by the
RSS