20 March 2008
Six-Party Talks Await Complete, Correct Data from North Korea
State's Hill says partial declaration politically unsustainable
Washington -- The stalemate in the second phase of the Six-Party Talks on eliminating nuclear weapons from the Korean Peninsula results from not getting North Korea to agree to a "complete and correct" declaration of all its nuclear materials, capacity, and knowledge -- without exceptions -- according to Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Christopher Hill.
In a briefing at the Washington Foreign Press Center March 19, Hill said: “I don't think we're asking the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] to do something that's not in its interest. I think it is very much in its interest to keep on this program. There will be a lot on the table in this next phase, a lot on the table in terms of their access to economic assistance, in terms of their diplomatic recognition, in terms of their security situation, because we're prepared to replace the armistice with a more durable peace instrument.”
“It’s true in diplomacy, but it’s true in life generally," Hill said: "You should do the best job you can so that, if something doesn't work out, you won't spend the rest of your life sort of wondering: ‘Could I have done something more? Could I have tried a little harder … worked a little harder?’”
When asked whether the United States would accept a partial declaration, one that was transparent only on certain issues, Hill said it is not politically sustainable for the United States, or any other party involved in the negotiations, to acknowledge a declaration to be complete and correct when, in fact, it is both incomplete and incorrect. The Six-Party Talks include representatives from China, North Korea, Japan, South Korea, Russia and the United States.
Hill accepted that many are anxious to make headway and move to phase 3 of the negotiations. However, he said that phase 3 negotiations, which would be even more difficult, require a foundation of transparency and trust. Phase 3 involves getting North Korea to relinquish all its fissile material.
"As we move forward and as we achieve complete denuclearization, we need to have transparency in the process. We can't have a situation where they … fail to list some of their nuclear programs, where they fail to list some of the experiences they've had, especially … their interest in a uranium enrichment program. We need this to be clear," Hill said.
Hill also said that if the Six-Party Talks succeed, "one of the elements we really want to see go forward is the idea of creating … a permanent peace and security mechanism in Northeast Asia."
Though the briefing involved mainly the North Korean nuclear issue, other topics were discussed.
Hill addressed the situation in Tibet, but cautioned that he could not provide an accurate assessment because China has not allowed U.S. diplomats to travel to Tibet. He reiterated Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's recent call for restraint and renewed dialogue between Chinese officials and the Dalai Lama. (See "Rice Asks Chinese Authorities to Show Restraint in Tibet.")
On the subject of the upcoming Taiwan elections, Hill said the U.S. position on China and Taiwan has not changed: “We have called for peaceful dialogue, no unilateral change of status, and [have] made clear that we do not support calls for Taiwan independence.”
See the transcript of the briefing.
