America Warming to North Korea

The U.S. State Department said on Aug 20 that it is willing to engage in direct talks with North Korea, provided that the dialogue comes within the framework of the Chinese-sponsored Six Party Talks.

At a press conference, Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs P.J. Crowley said that America is prepared to have bilateral talks with North Korea within the framework of the Six Party process.

New Mexico’s governor Richardson met with two North Korean officials from the country’s United Nations mission. After the meeting, he revealed to the media that North Korea is interested in holding “direct dialogue” with the U.S., but refused to participate in the Six Party talks about the country’s nuclear program. Richardson’s spokesperson, Gilbert Gallegos, stressed that Governor Richardson was not negotiating with the North Koreans nor representing President Barack Obama’s administration.

“The ball is still in North Korea’s court” Crowley said, “As we’ve made clear to North Korea for a long time, within the six-party framework there’s plenty of room for a bilateral dialogue, but North Korea knows what it has to do: it has to come back to the Six Party process, and be willing to take the kinds of steps that the international community has made clear that it needs to do.”

Crowley also indicated that compared to missile firings, the release of two American journalists and diplomatic contact with Richardson are more welcoming decisions. But America is still waiting for North Korea to indicate its willingness to return to the Six Party talks.

North Korea withdrew from the Six Party talks and reopened its nuclear facilities after its rejection of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1718.