N Korea out of nuclear talks

2004-08-17 10:38

Seoul - North Korea said it would not participate in the next round of six-nation talks aimed at ending the crisis over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programme.

North Korea blamed its pullout on the United States for destroying "the foundation for the talks" and for Washington's lack of interest in a "fruitful dialogue".

In the months leading up to June's six-nation discussions in Beijing, North Korea also had threatened to withdraw from the gatherings but eventually decided to sit down with officials from the United States, China, South Korea, Japan and Russia.

That third round of talks produced no major breakthroughs, but the countries agreed to meet again by the end of September.

"It is clear that there would be nothing to expect even if the (North Korea) sits at the negotiating table with the US under the present situation," the official KCNA news agency quoted a North Korean spokesperson as saying.

A freeze of North Korea's nuclear programmes would be possible only when the US dropped its "hostile behaviour", the spokesman said.

In Washington, the state department played down the North Korea's announcement.

"We haven't heard anything from the North Koreans at this point that would change our assumption about holding those talks," spokesperson Tom Casey said. "And at this point, we're working with the Chinese, with the other parties, and think that we'll be moving forward on this shortly." - dpa.

- SAPA