Christopher Hill, the senior US representative for the Korean
nuclear issue, arrived in Beijing on Wednesday afternoon ahead of
the working group meetings and the six-party talks which restart
next Monday.
Speaking to reporters at the airport, Hill said he would meet on
Tuesday with Mohammed el-Baradei, director-general of the
International Atomic Energy Agency. el-Baradei returned yesterday
from a two-day visit to North Korea which Hill called "obviously a
good sign."
The six-party negotiators will convene for three working group
meetings starting on Thursday.
Hill announced he would attend the denuclearization working
group, northeast Asia security working group and finally the new
round of six-party talks.
The last round of talks saw all the parties finally reach a
breakthrough, agreeing on the initial steps needed to realize the
full implementation of the 2005 joint statement.
The steps included the forming five working groups, each
tackling a specific role, namely the denuclearization of the Korean
Peninsula, the normalization of North Korea-US relations and a
similar group regarding North Korea-Japan relations, economic and
energy resources cooperation, and peace and security for northeast
Asia.
The two working groups aiming at normalizing relations between
North Korea and allies US and Japan already met for the first time
in New York and Hanoi.
Hill revealed he would meet with Chinese Foreign Ministry
officials and with South Korean delegates on Thursday evening,
adding that he would likely meet with Japanese chief negotiator
Kenichiro Sasae on Friday.
More bilateral meetings with other delegations, including North
Korea, would occur over the weekend, Hill said.
Addressing the "Macau issue," namely lifting the freeze on North
Korea's accounts there, Hill announced he fully expected the
sanctions to be lifted within 30 days as promised.
(Xinhua News Agency March 15, 2007)
