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| US envoy ready for N Korea talks | US envoy ready for N Korea talks |
| (about 17 hours later) | |
| The US envoy to talks on North Korea's nuclear programme has said he will meet Pyongyang's negotiator face-to-face on Sunday ahead of six-party talks. | The US envoy to talks on North Korea's nuclear programme has said he will meet Pyongyang's negotiator face-to-face on Sunday ahead of six-party talks. |
| The talks resume in Beijing on Monday after a break of more than a year. | The talks resume in Beijing on Monday after a break of more than a year. |
| Christopher Hill said he will meet his North Korean counterpart to discuss US sanctions imposed after the Pyongyang's nuclear test in October. | Christopher Hill said he will meet his North Korean counterpart to discuss US sanctions imposed after the Pyongyang's nuclear test in October. |
| Mr Hill told the BBC that that the US still had no intention of accepting North Korea as a nuclear power. | Mr Hill told the BBC that that the US still had no intention of accepting North Korea as a nuclear power. |
| But the North Korean envoy to the talks, Kim Kye-gwan, said his country needed nuclear weapons as a deterrent. | But the North Korean envoy to the talks, Kim Kye-gwan, said his country needed nuclear weapons as a deterrent. |
| "The biggest problem is that the United States needs to change its hostile policy against North Korea," he said. | "The biggest problem is that the United States needs to change its hostile policy against North Korea," he said. |
| "When they change their policy from a hostile stance to one of peaceful coexistence, the problem can be resolved." | "When they change their policy from a hostile stance to one of peaceful coexistence, the problem can be resolved." |
| Mr Hill told the BBC's Newshour programme the US did not believe the Pyongyang's assertion that it needs nuclear weapons to ensure its security. | Mr Hill told the BBC's Newshour programme the US did not believe the Pyongyang's assertion that it needs nuclear weapons to ensure its security. |
| "We have a hostile attitude to their nuclear programmes," Mr Hill said. | "We have a hostile attitude to their nuclear programmes," Mr Hill said. |
| But he added: "We have made abundantly clear directly to them... that we have absolutely no intention of attacking or invading North Korea." | But he added: "We have made abundantly clear directly to them... that we have absolutely no intention of attacking or invading North Korea." |
| Starting point | Starting point |
| Diplomats have previously indicated that the US may be willing to offer North Korea a security guarantee if it halts nuclear plans. | Diplomats have previously indicated that the US may be willing to offer North Korea a security guarantee if it halts nuclear plans. |
| Mr Hill has also indicated Washington is prepared to discuss easing financial sanctions, as requested by Pyongyang. | Mr Hill has also indicated Washington is prepared to discuss easing financial sanctions, as requested by Pyongyang. |
| href="/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/6182621.stm" class="">Low hopes for talks href="/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4259176.stm" class="">Text of September 2005 deal North Korea nuclear timeline But both remain divided over the key question of the North's nuclear programme. | |
| The six-party negotiations involve North Korea, the US, China, which hosts the talks, as well as key regional powers South Korea, Japan and Russia. | The six-party negotiations involve North Korea, the US, China, which hosts the talks, as well as key regional powers South Korea, Japan and Russia. |
| North Korea walked out of the last round of talks in November last year in protest at US restrictions imposed on a Macau-based bank linked to alleged money-laundering by Pyongyang. | North Korea walked out of the last round of talks in November last year in protest at US restrictions imposed on a Macau-based bank linked to alleged money-laundering by Pyongyang. |
| Two months earlier, in September 2005, Pyongyang had agreed to abandon its nuclear programme in return for US security guarantees and aid in a deal that was hailed as historic. | Two months earlier, in September 2005, Pyongyang had agreed to abandon its nuclear programme in return for US security guarantees and aid in a deal that was hailed as historic. |
| The US has said it hopes to use that agreement as the basis for negotiations when talks resume. | The US has said it hopes to use that agreement as the basis for negotiations when talks resume. |
| "It'll be a very long and a very difficult week but we look forward to it because we believe that now is the time to make real progress on the ground, not just on paper," Mr Hill told reporters. | "It'll be a very long and a very difficult week but we look forward to it because we believe that now is the time to make real progress on the ground, not just on paper," Mr Hill told reporters. |