John Endicott
LET’S LOOK SERIOUSLY AT A LIMITED NUCLEAR WEAPONS FREE ZONE FOR NORTHEAST ASIA
The world welcomed the latest news out of Pyongyang that it will rejoin the 6-Party Talks during the week of 25 July 2005. The news came after a meeting between our new Assistant Secretary for East Asia and the Pacific, Chris Hill, and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Vice Foreign Minister Kim Gye Gwan. The U.S. in the last several months has obviously reversed course and is willing to talk to DPRK diplomatic representatives at the United Nations, tone down the rhetoric about the nature of that regime, and make arrangements necessary to get North Korea to the table. This is good news and is a strong indication that recent personnel changes at State have come with positive results.
In the three sessions the 6-Party Talks have had to date, they came to some very significant agreements. For example, all six agreed on four key points:
