North Korea appeared to back away yesterday from a threat to put conditions on its pledge to give up its nuclear arms, saying the matter should be discussed in a new round of six-party talks in November.
"All these issues can be discussed at the forthcoming talks," the country's Deputy Foreign Minister Choe Su Hon said. The six-party talks among North and South Korea, China, Japan, Russia and the United States were expected to resume in November in Beijing, but no date had been set, he said.
In a landmark agreement struck on Monday in Beijing among North and South Korea, China, Japan, Russia and the United States, Pyongyang agreed to give up its nuclear weapons programs in exchange for aid, security guarantees and increased diplomatic recognition.
Pyongyang sowed confusion over the deal a day later by vowing to keep its weapons until Washington provided it with energy-producing civilian reactors.
Mr Choe said the issue should be resolved in future talks in Beijing when he was asked in an interview with news agency reporters for clarification on whether his country was imposing conditions on the agreement reached in Beijing.
Mr Choe added, however, it was "illogical" for one side to sit and wait for the other side to act first.
"All the issues should be resolved on the basis of simultaneous actions," he said, speaking through a translator. In Washington, a State Department official asked about Mr Choe's comments said: "The agreement (reached in Beijing) is on paper and everyone knows what it is. The place to have additional conversations about this is in Beijing in November."
"People are just trying to stake out their negotiating stand beforehand," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity according to State Department rules.