Agence France-Presse,
OLSO, Norway: South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said Wednesday he was optimistic for the outcome of behind-closed-doors negotiations on the denuclearisation of neighbouring North Korea.
Speaking on a visit to Oslo, Han said: “The prospect of progress and result at the six-party talks is, I think, bright.”
Under the outline of an agreement six states — North and South Korea, China, Japan, Russia and the United States — reached on February 13th, North Korea was to begin a programme of denuclearisation.
In exchange, Pyongyang would receive significant energy assistance and the prospect of a normalisation of relations with the international community, notably the United States.
The detonation of its first nuclear bomb in October last year had triggered a wave of international condemnation.
Last week, Chinese, Russian and US experts met in North Korea to study methods of deactivating the communist regime's atomic programme.
On Monday, however, the Chinese announced without comment that a meeeting of the six members scheduled for Wednesday in Beijing was adjourned indefinitely.
That meeting had been due to adopt a “working plan” on how Pyongyang would phase out its entire nuclear arsenal.
“One of the parties is dragging its feet,” a Beijing diplomat, who did not wish to be identified, later explained.
In Oslo Han made a fresh plea for the international community to give more humanitarian assistance to North Korea, one of the poorest countries in the world.
His host, Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, announced his country was “considering” an increase in its current aid package of four million dollars (2.9 million euros) a year to the country.
