South Korea, North Korea to meet to discuss nuclear issue, boost ties
South Korea, North Korea to meet to discuss nuclear issue, boost ties
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Ban Ki-moon
will try to make further progress in improving relations with
North Korea and finding a solution to the nuclear crisis, by
meeting his North Korean counterpart Paek Nam-sun on the
sidelines of the 11th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) on Thursday
afternoon at J.W. Marriott Hotel, South Jakarta.
Ban said in an interview with The Jakarta Post here on
Wednesday that he would encourage his counterpart to reevaluate
North Korea's nuclear program for the benefit of the
international community.
"It is not that nuclear weapons hold much benefit for North
Korea," he said while adding that international recognition would
not rest merely on a country's nuclear weapons capability.
Ban said that the both the countries have made significant
progress in their relations.
He also said that the two Koreas would discuss further
cooperation in other international fora.
"There are many other important and global issues where both
South and North Korea can cooperate for greater benefit as well
as for the benefit of the international community," he said.
Ban said that Thursday's bilateral meeting with Paek was their
first encounter with each other since the former was appointed
foreign minister about five months ago. The first contact between
the two Koreas' foreign ministers took place in Bangkok in July
2000.
The six-nation talks involving the two Koreas, the U.S.,
China, Russia and Japan in Beijing last week collapsed after
North Korea hinted that there were elements in Pyongyang who
wanted to test a nuclear bomb.
AFP reported on Wednesday that Paek welcomed suggestions to
meet U.S. Foreign Minister Colin Powell on the sidelines of the
Forum. Powell is expected to arrive on Thursday.
"We have no plans to meet Colin Powell on the part of the DPRK
(Democratic People's Republic of Korea), but if there is a
proposal from the U.S. side to meet with my minister, then my
minister is ready to talk with Colin Powell," Chung Sung-il, the
deputy director of North Korea's foreign ministry's international
organizations, was quoted as saying.
He said that there was no plan to meet with the six nations in
Jakarta this week.
The six nations have agreed to have a fourth round of talks in
Beijing in September.
Japanese foreign minister Yoriko Kawaguchi has also expressed
interest to meet with her North Korean counterpart.
Meanwhile, Minister Ban said the annual ARF forum had greatly
helped the two Koreas because they could meet regularly in the
forum.
"ARF is very important as the only security forum in this area
(Asia)... this is the only forum where we have the unique
opportunity of having bilateral meetings of the two Korean
ministers at a senior level," he said.