hankyoreh

The bilateral discussions between U.S. and North Korean negotiators in Berlin on January 16 and 17 indeed took place within the framework of the six-party talks aimed at ending the North’s nuclear program. This is in keeping with the position maintained in recent years by the George W. Bush administration that there will be no independent North Korea-U.S. talks.

But it is significant that the talks occurred outside of a direct round of six-party talks. It also should be noted that the bilateral meeting occurred in Berlin, not Beijing, where the six-party talks have taken place. Berlin holds diplomatic significance for the two nations, which used to hold discussions in Berlin before the launch of the Bush administration. The high-ranking talks held in the same city in September 1999 regarding a moratorium on the North’s long-range missile tests. The move would seem to suggest that Washington is now showing increased flexibility regarding the matter.

Recently observers have been witnessing a sea change. Washington already changed its position in the round of six-party talks held in December last year by showing an unprecedentedly proactive attitude toward suggesting resolutions to the North Korea nuclear issue. North Korea’s chief delegate to the talks, Kim Gye-kwan, reportedly appreciated this gesture. The Berlin talks have not only confirmed the changing U.S. attitude toward the negotiations, but also its policy direction of taking a practical approach to the issue.

In this respect, the six-party talks on denuclearizing North Korea may see advancement to the "next stage," from the earlier focus on whether bilateral talks between the U.S. and the North were possible, and if the North would be come back to the six-party talks. After the Berlin round, talks on the North’s nuclear issue may turn their focus to practical agreement and progress in carrying out the September 19, 2005 joint declaration, aimed at resolving the issue in a step-by-step manner.

Pyongyang was reported to have suggested this latest Berlin round of bilateral talks to the U.S. through the so-called New York channel of diplomatic communication between the two nations, doing so after the conclusion of the last round of six-party talks. Washington reportedly coordinated on the agenda items for the Berlin meeting in advance at the ROK-U.S. foreign ministers’ talks held in Washington in early January. Here, the U.S. took the position that it would not insist upon a specific meeting place, according to words spoken by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Song Min-soon at a press briefing in Seoul.

The North’s suggestion to hold the Berlin talks was interpreted as a response to what the U.S. had proposed at the last round of six-party talks. Christopher Hill, the U.S. envoy to the six-party talks, had explained to his North Korean counterpart Kim Kye-gwan about a "plan to denuclearize the Korean peninsula," saying that the plan came from the will of the U.S. president. In response, Kim said he would reply after reviewing the issue with Pyongyang. The North is expected to have shown its position regarding the U.S. proposal during the Berlin meeting.

In relation to the U.S. proposal made at the six-party talks last month, Minister Song said that it is a difficult problem for the North’s delegation to decide upon. "This time, the North’s delegates may present some results after discussing with Pyongyang," added Song, agreeing with Kim’s comments to Hill at the six-party meeting.

The North may want to further confirm its stance regarding the U.S. suggestion. Therefore, the two sides will likely focus on confirming each other’s proposals made at the last talks more concretely and clearly, according to an official of Seoul.

The U.S. has also been discussing the confirmation of legal bank accounts held by North Korea at Macau-based Banco Delta Asia (BDA), and the subsequent lifting of sanctions on those accounts. This issue has been a major stumbling block for discussions, having stalled the six-party talks for 13 months, so any easing of sanctions on the part of the U.S. is expected to have positive effects on the Berlin talks and future rounds of discussion.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]