By Bernama
Seoul : Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan expressed hope on Wednesday for a quick breakthrough in the deadlocked six-party talks on the North Korean nuclear program, saying a further delay will sap the momentum of the overall denuclearization process.
The sense of urgency came as top North Korean and American nuclear negotiators plan to meet in Geneva later this week. Washington’s envoy Christopher Hill and his counterpart Kim Kye-kwan had talks last month in Beijing but failed to produce a deal. It is unclear whether they will be able to narrow differences this time.
“The North Korean nuclear issue is making no progress due to the roadblocks of the alleged uranium enrichment program (UEP) and nuclear cooperation with Syria,” South Korea’s Yonhap news agency quoted Yu as saying in his first press briefing since he took office.
“I am concerned that the six-way talks may lose momentum,” he said.
North Korea provided a list of its nuclear activities last November but the U.S. claims it was incomplete as it does not address the UEP and Syria issues. Pyongyang flatly denies the allegations.
China, host of the six-way talks, has reportedly presented a compromise proposal that reflects the positions of the both sides but details are not available yet.
“Chief nuclear envoys from related countries are in consultations for a resolution. Once an agreement on the declaration issue takes shape, the six-way talks can be resumed,” Yu said.
Yu added that he would visit Beijing from March 20 to 22 to meet his Chinese counterpart, followed by a trip to the United States from March 25 to 29 and Japan from April 4 to 6, to discuss the nuclear issue and other regional concerns.
Yu said he chose China as his first destination, as he has never met with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi.
He said he had chances to meet with his U.S., Japanese, and Russian counterparts while serving as vice foreign minister and ambassador to Tokyo in the past.
Yu stressed that the South Korea-U.S. alliance should play a bigger role beyond regional issues to handle the spread of democracy, human rights concerns, and environmental pollution.
“The government will plans to work out a vision for the alliance in the 21st century through close consultations with the U.S.,” he said.
President Lee Myung-bak is scheduled to hold a summit with President George W. Bush next month.