Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
New York Times
February 11, 2007
Pg. 22
By Jim Yardley
BEIJING, Feb. 10 — Negotiations over North Korea’s nuclear weapons program stalled on Saturday as disagreements arose about the size and timing of the aid package that would be provided to North Korea in exchange for shutting down the country’s nuclear weapons facilities.
“The differences on the issue still remain large,” said Qin Gang, spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry.
The impasse occurred amid rising expectations for an agreement in Beijing, where the diplomatic talks were under way, and in Washington, where Bush administration officials had predicted a major announcement this weekend. Instead, negotiators from North Korea, China, the United States, South Korea and Japan will meet again on Sunday for a fourth day of talks.
Christopher R. Hill, the chief American envoy, would not discuss any specifics about the dispute but said negotiations had largely boiled down to one issue. “Frankly, I had hoped we could get it done on Saturday,” Mr. Hill said. “But I think it’s going to take another day or two.”
The diplomatic effort to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue has gone nowhere since the six participating nations signed a broad accord in September 2005 in which North Korea agreed to end its weapons program in exchange for economic and energy benefits, as well as security guarantees. Negotiations almost fell apart last October after North Korea tested a nuclear device.
This week’s focus has been on establishing a schedule for shutting down North Korea’s nuclear program, as well as the timing and amount of assistance the North gets in return. Bush administration officials say that the current draft calls for North Korea to shut down and seal its main nuclear facilities within two months in exchange for shipments of fuel oil from South Korea and the opening of talks with Washington over diplomatic recognition.
But the process now seems stuck on the fine print of exactly how much help North Korea is demanding. Aleksandr Losyukov, the top Russian negotiator, said the parties had not decided on final figures for assistance, and he declined to detail the amounts requested by North Korea.
“The biggest obstacle to reaching a joint statement remains on the issue of economic aid,” said Mr. Losyukov, according to Xinhua, China’s official news agency.
However, at least one diplomat suggested that the process faced more than one problem. “The situation continues to be severe,” Kenichiro Sasae, the Japanese envoy, told reporters. “We are boiling down our problems, but there is no conclusion in sight for several issues.”
Kyodo, the Japanese news agency, quoted an unidentified diplomatic source as saying that North Korea had demanded the equivalent of about two million tons of fuel oil annually, a figure that stunned other participants.
Mr. Hill, speaking to reporters late Saturday night, said North Korea wanted “a very precise measurement with how we are going to get through this.” He predicted that the problem could be solved. “We are kind of reaching a point where we have got to solve this,” he said.
February 11, 2007
Pg. 22
By Jim Yardley
BEIJING, Feb. 10 — Negotiations over North Korea’s nuclear weapons program stalled on Saturday as disagreements arose about the size and timing of the aid package that would be provided to North Korea in exchange for shutting down the country’s nuclear weapons facilities.
“The differences on the issue still remain large,” said Qin Gang, spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry.
The impasse occurred amid rising expectations for an agreement in Beijing, where the diplomatic talks were under way, and in Washington, where Bush administration officials had predicted a major announcement this weekend. Instead, negotiators from North Korea, China, the United States, South Korea and Japan will meet again on Sunday for a fourth day of talks.
Christopher R. Hill, the chief American envoy, would not discuss any specifics about the dispute but said negotiations had largely boiled down to one issue. “Frankly, I had hoped we could get it done on Saturday,” Mr. Hill said. “But I think it’s going to take another day or two.”
The diplomatic effort to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue has gone nowhere since the six participating nations signed a broad accord in September 2005 in which North Korea agreed to end its weapons program in exchange for economic and energy benefits, as well as security guarantees. Negotiations almost fell apart last October after North Korea tested a nuclear device.
This week’s focus has been on establishing a schedule for shutting down North Korea’s nuclear program, as well as the timing and amount of assistance the North gets in return. Bush administration officials say that the current draft calls for North Korea to shut down and seal its main nuclear facilities within two months in exchange for shipments of fuel oil from South Korea and the opening of talks with Washington over diplomatic recognition.
But the process now seems stuck on the fine print of exactly how much help North Korea is demanding. Aleksandr Losyukov, the top Russian negotiator, said the parties had not decided on final figures for assistance, and he declined to detail the amounts requested by North Korea.
“The biggest obstacle to reaching a joint statement remains on the issue of economic aid,” said Mr. Losyukov, according to Xinhua, China’s official news agency.
However, at least one diplomat suggested that the process faced more than one problem. “The situation continues to be severe,” Kenichiro Sasae, the Japanese envoy, told reporters. “We are boiling down our problems, but there is no conclusion in sight for several issues.”
Kyodo, the Japanese news agency, quoted an unidentified diplomatic source as saying that North Korea had demanded the equivalent of about two million tons of fuel oil annually, a figure that stunned other participants.
Mr. Hill, speaking to reporters late Saturday night, said North Korea wanted “a very precise measurement with how we are going to get through this.” He predicted that the problem could be solved. “We are kind of reaching a point where we have got to solve this,” he said.