Beijing(AsiaNews/Agencies) – A new session of six-party talks on nuclear disarmament starts today inBeijingbut political analysts are not too hopeful about possible agreement.
The first signs of hostility came yesterday from theUSdelegation head Christopher Hill who said: “Before starting, I would like to know whether the head of thePyongyangdelegation, Kim Kye-gwan, has the authority to make a deal. I think the rest of us –South Korea,Japan,RussiaandChina– do, but withNorth Korea, one never knows."
The Korean response was swift. Kim Kye-gwan, one of the protégés of Kim Jong-il, described the talks as “meaningless unlessWashingtonended its hostile policy against us. I'm not optimistic about this.”
In September 2005Pyongyangaccepted to take part in six-nation talks about its nuclear programme in exchange for energy supplies and economic benefits. They were suddenly interrupted two months later whenWashingtonblocked access byNorth Koreato foreign banks accusing the North Koreans of money laundering and counterfeiting US dollars.
