Fed: Downer heads home after hopeful talks with N Korea

AAP General News (Australia)
08-19-2004
Fed: Downer heads home after hopeful talks with N Korea

CANBERRA, Aug 19 AAP - Foreign Minister Alexander Downer is due back in Australia today
after four days of official talks in China and North Korea.

Mr Downer said he remained hopeful of a successful resolution to the North Korea nuclear
crisis after a four-hour meeting with his counterpart Paek Nam Sun and the president of
the Supreme People's Assembly Kim Yong Nam in Pyongyang yesterday.

The meeting came as speculation mounts over whether North Korea will attend working
party talks on the nuclear issue ahead of a new round of six-nation talks next month.

Mr Downer told the North Korean officials he believed there was much common ground
between their position and other members of the six-party talks - the United States, China,
Japan, Russia and South Korea.

North Korea suggested in June that it could freeze its nuclear program in exchange
for actions such as the lifting of US economic sanctions and being taken off the US list
of states which support terrorism.

But the US had wanted North Korea to go further by handing over details about its nuclear
activities and to allow outside monitoring.

Mr Downer said North Korea's response to the US package was pretty negative.

However, he hoped both sides would realise they shared common ground on the desire
for a nuclear freeze and the eventual dismantlement of North Korea's nuclear program.

"I've been very happy with the way the discussions have progressed," he told reporters
in Pyongyang.

"But it is going to be a long, hard process."

Mr Downer spent two days in Beijing before flying to Pyongyang on Tuesday.

During his China visit, he signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Beijing
officials on six new projects to combat greenhouse gases.

He also held talks about Taiwan and signed a MOU committing an extra $20.3 million
for programs to support strategic engagement between Australia and China on governance
issues.

AAP bt/cjh/sd

KEYWORD: KOREA AUST DAYLEAD

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