US top negotiator to the six-party talks Christopher Hill said in
Beijing on Friday night that he doesn't believe the implementation
of the February 13 joint document would delay for another
month.
"I don't believe we'll go for another month," Hill, who arrived
in Beijing Friday afternoon, told reporters at hotel.
The six parties had agreed a 60-day deadline, to terminate on
Saturday, in the Feb. 13 joint document to implement a series of
initial steps, mainly including the shutdown and sealing of the
Yongbyon nuclear facility of the Democratic People's republic of
Korea (DPRK) and economic and energy aid by the other parties to
the DPRK.
Hill said he had no idea exactly how long the deadline would be
extended and he had to work with the other partners to seek the
best way to achieve the goals, noting the issue needs to be dealt
with "multilaterally".
Hill will meet with Chinese top envoy to the talks, vice Foreign
Minister Wu Dawei on Saturday. According to a source with the US
embassy in Beijing, Hill is also expected to meet his DPRK
counterpart Kim Kye-Gwan on Saturday.
"I want to talk to the Chinese and we need a very clear and
serious discussion with the Chinese who is chair of the six-party
process," said Hill.
The six-party talks have been in recess since March 22 due to
difficulties in resolving the issue concerning the transfer of the
allegedly illicit funds of the DPRK frozen in a Macao-based
bank.
The DPRK insisted that unfreezing the funds was a prerequisite
for starting other negotiations.
The US said on April 6 that it supported the return of the US$25
million of funds to the DPRK and it has identified a way to do
that.
Hill said the DPRK's accounts are fully available, so the frozen
funds are not a issue any more.
Hill is probably to leave for Washington on Sunday.
The six-party talks also groups the Republic of Korea, Japan and
Russia.
(Xinhua News Agency April 14, 2007)
