Optimism Grows After Talks On North Korea
NEW YORK (CNN) -- Representatives from the six nations engaged in the effort to denuclearize of the Korean peninsula, wrapped up two days of meetings in New York on Friday with no breakthroughs on dividing issues, but with momentum on moving forward, organizers of the conference said. The talks took place under the so-called Track 2 discussions, which are designed to provide an atmosphere to explore and discuss issues in a more informal setting than government-to-government talks.In addition to officials from North and South Korea, the conference in New York included representatives from the United States, China, the European Union, Germany, Japan, Mongolia, Russia and the United Nations.
All of the attendees were there in an unofficial capacity according to organizers. They reflect a broad range of experience in sectors, including academia, government, think tanks, and civil society organizations."I can say that based on the amicable and candid interaction among the participants, the organizers believe that the conference achieved its final result of building trust despite remaining political differences," Christoph Pohlmann, a representative of the German NGO Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), said at a press conference after the meetings concluded.FES, along with the Korean Peninsula Affairs Center at Syracuse University sponsored, the talks, which took place at a hotel, just steps away from United Nations headquarters.Ri Yong Ho, the North Korean vice minister of foreign affairs, and Lim Song Nam, the South Korean envoy to the six-party talks both attended the meetings. The two men did not engage in any private discussions of their own, according to people who attended.The absence of any bilateral discussions between North and South Korean interlocutors did not seem to be a basis for pessimism going forward."I was very heartened by the degree to which the representatives from all the countries, and that certainly included the Koreas, were very open about not only their aspirations but also in many cases the issues that separate them," Stuart Thorson with Syracuse said after the conference. "Absent that type of discussion, I can't imagine how trust can be built. This is a very early and small step in a much larger process."The meetings also come at a time of transition in North Korea following the death of Kim Jong-il late last year. Though planning for the talks began over a year ago, organizers said the fact they went forward sent a signal about the new leadership of Kim Jong-un."The very fact that the change of leadership in Pyongyang did not have any negative effect on this meeting taking place I think can be interpreted in a certain way," Jurgen Stetten with FES said.After six-party talks broke off more than two years ago, North Korea recently announced a moratorium on long-range missile launches, nuclear tests and enrichment activities at nuclear facilities, along with an agreement to allow U.N. nuclear inspectors back into the country to monitor and verify the moratorium. In return, the United States has agreed to resume nutritional assistance to the impoverished North once verification mechanisms for monitoring the distribution of the assistance are in place.Standing next to the visiting South Korean Foreign Minister at the State Department on Friday, Clinton called the recent overtures from Pyongyang a "modest step in the right direction. Clinton said the United States would be "watching closely and judging North Korea's leaders by their actions."In addition to officials from North and South Korea, the conference in New York included representatives from the United States, China, the EU, Germany, Japan, Mongolia, Russia and the United Nations.All of the attendees were there in an unofficial capacity according to organizers. They reflect a broad range of experience in sectors, including academia, government, think tanks, and civil society organizations.Sen. John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, attended the talks on Friday, but did not address reporters before leaving.
All of the attendees were there in an unofficial capacity according to organizers. They reflect a broad range of experience in sectors, including academia, government, think tanks, and civil society organizations."I can say that based on the amicable and candid interaction among the participants, the organizers believe that the conference achieved its final result of building trust despite remaining political differences," Christoph Pohlmann, a representative of the German NGO Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), said at a press conference after the meetings concluded.FES, along with the Korean Peninsula Affairs Center at Syracuse University sponsored, the talks, which took place at a hotel, just steps away from United Nations headquarters.Ri Yong Ho, the North Korean vice minister of foreign affairs, and Lim Song Nam, the South Korean envoy to the six-party talks both attended the meetings. The two men did not engage in any private discussions of their own, according to people who attended.The absence of any bilateral discussions between North and South Korean interlocutors did not seem to be a basis for pessimism going forward."I was very heartened by the degree to which the representatives from all the countries, and that certainly included the Koreas, were very open about not only their aspirations but also in many cases the issues that separate them," Stuart Thorson with Syracuse said after the conference. "Absent that type of discussion, I can't imagine how trust can be built. This is a very early and small step in a much larger process."The meetings also come at a time of transition in North Korea following the death of Kim Jong-il late last year. Though planning for the talks began over a year ago, organizers said the fact they went forward sent a signal about the new leadership of Kim Jong-un."The very fact that the change of leadership in Pyongyang did not have any negative effect on this meeting taking place I think can be interpreted in a certain way," Jurgen Stetten with FES said.After six-party talks broke off more than two years ago, North Korea recently announced a moratorium on long-range missile launches, nuclear tests and enrichment activities at nuclear facilities, along with an agreement to allow U.N. nuclear inspectors back into the country to monitor and verify the moratorium. In return, the United States has agreed to resume nutritional assistance to the impoverished North once verification mechanisms for monitoring the distribution of the assistance are in place.Standing next to the visiting South Korean Foreign Minister at the State Department on Friday, Clinton called the recent overtures from Pyongyang a "modest step in the right direction. Clinton said the United States would be "watching closely and judging North Korea's leaders by their actions."In addition to officials from North and South Korea, the conference in New York included representatives from the United States, China, the EU, Germany, Japan, Mongolia, Russia and the United Nations.All of the attendees were there in an unofficial capacity according to organizers. They reflect a broad range of experience in sectors, including academia, government, think tanks, and civil society organizations.Sen. John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, attended the talks on Friday, but did not address reporters before leaving.
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