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China-Japan-Koreas
U.S. Firm on Nork Denuclearization
2009-08-06
For now at least.
Following the surprise visit by former U.S. president Bill Clinton to North Korea to win the freedom of two detained reporters, Washington maintains that it regards them as a humanitarian matter quite separate from political issues including denuclearization and the six-party talks.

U.S. State Department deputy spokesman Robert Wood indicated Washington will continue to focus on UN sanctions to pressure North Korea to take tangible steps toward denuclearization, rather than on concessions. "We have always said that. That hasn't changed," Wood said.

For Washington, irreversible denuclearization is a precondition for dialogue with North Korea that would lead to normal diplomatic ties.

North Korea on Wednesday expressed hope of continuing dialogue with the U.S., with the official media saying Clinton and leader Kim Jong-il "reached consensus about solving issues through dialogue" during the visit.

Diplomats speculate that Washington and Pyongyang could find a compromise about the form any such dialogue should take in bilateral talks or with the help of China, the chair of the six-party talks.
Posted by:Steve White

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