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New hopes as N Korea talks resume New hope as N Korea talks resume
(about 13 hours later)
A new round of six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear programme are poised to begin in the Chinese capital, Beijing. A new round of six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear programme has begun in Beijing.
Delegates from North and South Korea, the US, China, Russia and Japan made little progress during a previous round of talks late last year. The talks - involving the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the US - come amid hopes of progress after years of stalemate.
But there are signs that diplomats from both Pyongyang and the US are prepared to make progress towards a deal. The US wants North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons programme, but Pyongyang wants sanctions lifted first.
The US wants North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons programme, but the North wants sanctions lifted first. Trade and financial sanctions against North Korea were tightened after it carried out a nuclear test in October.
Trade and financial sanctions were imposed on North Korea after Pyongyang carried out a nuclear test in October 2006. Desire for progress
Reviving deal Debate in Beijing is expected to centre on getting Pyongyang to return to a September 2005 agreement under which the North would agree to end its nuclear programme in return for aid and security guarantees.
Debate in Beijing is expected to centre on getting Pyongyang to return to a September 2005 agreement under which the North would agree to disarm in return for aid and guarantees of security. Analysts say that after years of stop-start negotiations and little concrete progress, the lead-up to this latest meeting has been unusually positive.
N KOREA NUCLEAR PROGRAMME Believed to have 'handful' of nuclear weaponsBut not thought to have any small enough to put in a missileCould try dropping from plane, though world watching closely Text of September 2005 deal But Christopher Hill, the chief US envoy to the talks, played down suggestions that the 2005 deal could be fully completed during this meeting. N KOREA NUCLEAR PROGRAMME Believed to have 'handful' of nuclear weaponsBut not thought to have any small enough to put in a missileCould try dropping from plane, though world watching closely href="/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/6338941.stm">Food shortage is key class="" href="/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4259176.stm">Text of September 2005 deal
"The real success will be when we complete the full September 05 statement, not just when we start," he said. Top US envoy Christopher Hill told reporters on Thursday that he sensed "there is a real desire to have progress".
"We're not going to finish that this week. We'll just maybe take a good first step." But his North Korean counterpart Kim Kye-kwan said: "I'm not either optimistic or pessimistic, because there are still many points of confrontation to resolve."
Japanese envoy Kenichiro Sasae said the main focus was on taking "concrete steps" towards the de-nuclearisation of North Korea. Part of the reason for analysts' optimism is the reported progress at recent talks between the US and North Korea in Berlin.
Food issues Mr Hill said that this new round of negotiations would look at specific issues.
Reports that the North is enduring a winter food crisis have emerged in recent weeks. "When we do get a set of actions - if we do - it will be widely seen as a very solid, positive step toward implementation," Mr Hill told reporters.
That is thought to have changed the atmosphere somewhat in the run-up to the new talks. Mr Kim said the US needed to show goodwill to make an agreement possible.
I think we know that there is going to be some rather hard bargaining, so we'll see how we do Christopher HillAsst US Secretary of State Washington has reportedly shown a willingness to sit down and discuss North Korea's demands to lift financial sanctions. "We are prepared to discuss the initial steps, but the judgement [for the talks] should be based on whether the United States will come forward and abandon its hostile policy against us and co-exist peacefully," he said.
Food shortage
Reports that the North is enduring a winter food crisis have emerged in recent weeks, a fact which is thought to have changed the dynamics in the run-up to the talks.
Washington has reportedly shown a willingness to sit down and discuss North Korea's demands to lift financial sanctions.
Meanwhile, North Korea reportedly recently told visiting US officials it would take the first steps to disband its nuclear programme in return for 500,000 tonnes of fuel oil and other benefits.Meanwhile, North Korea reportedly recently told visiting US officials it would take the first steps to disband its nuclear programme in return for 500,000 tonnes of fuel oil and other benefits.
Nevertheless, Mr Hill placed the onus back on North Korea as the diplomats gathered in Beijing. Nevertheless, Mr Hill placed the onus back on North Korea as the diplomats gathered ahead of the negotiations.
"The big question is whether the North Koreans are really ready to make some progress," he told reporters."The big question is whether the North Koreans are really ready to make some progress," he told reporters.
"I think we also know that there is going to be some rather hard bargaining, so we'll see how we do.""I think we also know that there is going to be some rather hard bargaining, so we'll see how we do."