AFP
Saturday, January 13, 2007
China, Japan and South Korea agreed Friday to send a "clear
message" to North Korea to scrap its nuclear programmes,
said South Korean Foreign Minister Song Min-Soon.
"We agreed to send a clear message to North Korea that the
beginning of an immediate implementation of the September 2005
agreement is the most desirable of all options," Song said.
At six-party talks in September 2005, North Korea agreed in principle
to scrap its nuclear programmes in exchange for economic and energy
benefits and security guarantees.
But it boycotted the forum two months later in protest at US
financial sanctions imposed for alleged money-laundering and counterfeiting.
Song was speaking to reporters after meeting China's Foreign
Minister Li Zhaoxing and Japan's Vice Foreign Minister Katsuhito
Asano during preparatory meetings for the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations summit.
The ministers declined to say when the six-nation talks may resume.
The last round was held in Beijing last month after a 13-month
break but ended without apparent progress.
"The sooner the better," Song said in response to questions.
It is unclear whether the "clear message" would be
delivered at the six-nation forum.
Li reiterated that all parties -- the United States, the two
Koreas, China, Japan and Russia -- involved in the talks should
stick firmly to the goal of the denuclearisation of North Korea.
"We reaffirmed our common position on this," Li said.
The top diplomats were meeting to prepare for a meeting Sunday
between Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo
Abe and South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun. This is expected
cover a range of issues including how to persuade Pyongyang to
give up its nuclear arms.
China, North Korea's main economic lifeline, reacted angrily
to its nuclear test on October 9 and backed a UN Security Council
resolution that imposed sanctions.
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