US, North Korea hold nuclear talks

“The talks were serious and substantive. We covered a number of issues,” said Glyn Davies, US ambassador to the IAEA, on Thursday after both parties met in the Chinese capital of Beijing.

The meeting marks the duo’s first encounter since North Koreas former leader Kim Jong-il died on December 17, 2011.

North Korea, which is facing food shortages, had earlier announced its willingness of restarting the six-party talks.

The talks, involving North Korea, China, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United States, stalled in 2009 when Pyongyang walked out in protest against a new round of UN sanctions following the nuclear and missile tests by the North.

While Davies expressed his satisfaction with the talks, the US and South Korea have on several occasions questioned the sincerity of Pyongyang regarding its commitment in disabling its nuclear weapons program.

Washington is also waiting to see what direction North Korea’s new leader, Kim Jong-un, will take for the country.

Meanwhile, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hong Lei hailed the US-North Korea talks, saying that Beijing “supports all the relevant parties in improving and developing relations, to jointly push forward the six-party talks and the process of denuclearization on the Korean peninsula.”

The meeting between the US and North Korea is expected to conclude on Friday.

PM/MA

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