N Korea returns to nuclear talks
North Korea has agreed to return to stalled six-party talks on ending its nuclear programs, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said yesterday, three weeks after Pyongyang staged its first nuclear test.In an informal meeting in Beijing, North Korea, the US and China agreed to resume talks at a time convenient for all six parties in the near future, the ministry said on its website.
The other three countries involved in the talks are South Korea, Japan and Russia.
The US assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill said yesterday the talks would address North Korea’s concerns with US financial measures, possibly through a working group. In Washington, a senior US official said the US hoped for a new round of talks before the end of the year, but UN sanctions would still be enforced.
It certainly appears to me that China has changed its tone with N. Korea and this is a sign that that message has been heard. I expect that the next round of talks will be much more fruitful than past ones have been.
