North Korea crisis talks end after 'frank' exchanges

5.00pm

BEIJING - Frustrations bubbled to the surface at the close of three days of talks bringing six countries together in Beijing to end the North Korea nuclear crisis, but all expected to agree on Friday to meet again.

In a proposal certain to be rejected by the United States, North Korea's KCNA news agency said Pyongyang had suggested dismantling its nuclear programme in return for a non-aggression treaty with the United States.

US Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly has kept his cards close to his chest at the talks, but diplomats have said the discussions were seen as an opportunity for all sides to lay out their positions and not as a forum for negotiation.

China has said all six countries -- the two Koreas, Japan, Russia, the United States and China -- had agreed to work towards a Korean peninsula free of nuclear arms.

With host Beijing keen to be midwife to some form of result from the highest-level talks since the nuclear standoff erupted 10 months ago, one diplomat said the delegates aimed to meet again in October.

The talks ended after all sides "explained their principled stands and proposals on resolving the Korean nuclear issue", China's Xinhua news agency said in a brief dispatch.

"They also 'frankly' exchanged views," it said.

The standoff may require many more rounds of talks because the United States, which says Pyongyang may already have one or two nuclear weapons, is looking for a commitment that North Korea will scrap its programme before making any concessions.

Isolated and reclusive North Korea wants security guarantees before dismantling.

Twinning sweeteners with threats, the North's junior deputy foreign minister, Kim Yong-il, raised the rhetoric on the second day by speaking about carrying out a test and saying North Korea could declare itself a nuclear power, said US officials.

Despite the wide gulf, the White House played down Pyongyang's comments on arms tests and sought to stress North Korea's isolation by lauding the level of cooperation at the talks, which have so far proved a diplomatic coup for host China.

North Korea stood firm, saying it would not build nuclear arms in return for a non-aggression treaty with the United States.

"The package of solutions includes the US signing of a non-aggression treaty with the DPRK (North Korea), the establishment of diplomatic relations with the DPRK, the guarantee of DPRK-Japan and inter-Korean economic cooperation, the completion of light-water reactors," KCNA said.

"In return, the DPRK will not manufacture nuclear weapons and allow in inspection, realise the ultimate dismantlement of nuclear facilities and stop the export and experiment of missiles," it said.

Even an agreement to hold further talks would be regarded as a success after the three days of talks in the exclusive Diaoyutai State Guest House in Beijing. Talks involving China, the United States and North Korea broke up amid anger last April.

The United States says Pyongyang has one or two nuclear weapons and is nearing the capability to produce more.

Such a development would destabilise Northeast Asia, possibly prompt an arms race and enrage China, which is Pyongyang's closest remaining friend and neighbour.

North Korea, which US President George W Bush has named part of an "axis of evil" with pre-war Iraq and Iran, maintains it has a right to a nuclear deterrent to fend off what it regards as US hostility.

But US officials have played down North Korea's bellicose statements.

"We believe there's been excellent cooperation in the talks," White House spokeswoman Claire Buchan told reporters, stressing she was referring to the five parties other than North Korea.

Asked about reports that the North had indicated a determination to test nuclear weapons, she said: "North Korea has a long history of making inflammatory comments that serve to isolate it from the rest of the world."

- REUTERS