U.S. and Hong Kong (2005)

U.S. Prepared to Resolve Issues with North Korea, Official Says

But North Korea must resume Six-Party Talks, halt nuclear weapons program

Following is the text of his remarks:

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Brookings Briefing
A Regional Discussion of the Six-Party Process:
Challenges and Opportunities in North Korea

Remarks by EAP Acting Assistant Secretary Evans J. R. Revere

Friday, March 11, 2005
2:00pm - 4:00pm
Falk Auditorium
The Brookings Institution
1775 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC

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No Response From DPRK

The DPRK has never responded formally to our proposal, nor have the North Koreans sought to explore it through subsequent contacts since we presented it in Beijing in June.

Diplomatic Efforts Ongoing

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You may have seen that Ambassador Hill traveled to Beijing for talks with the Chinese, held talks in Seoul with China's Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei as well as South Korean and Japanese officials, and traveled to Japan this week for talks with senior officials in Tokyo.

The visit late last month to Pyongyang of Wang Jiarui, Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party International Department, and his meeting with Kim Jong-Il, reflected the importance China places on moving the process forward. We welcome this, even as we ask the PRC to do even more to urge the DPRK to return to the Six-Party Talks.

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Key to Success of Six-Party Talks is Cooperation with Partners

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China and Russia have repeatedly made clear they share the goal of a denuclearized Korean Peninsula. China has used its unique relationship and special access to reinforce the message that the Six-Party Talks are the best vehicle for resolving the nuclear issue.

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Democracy is strengthening through the Asia-Pacific region. In the past year, successful elections have taken place in old democracies such as Japan and Australia, new ones in Mongolia and Indonesia, and developing ones, such as Hong Kong.

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