Asia-Pacific News
North Korea calls for US to decide on talks
Nov 2, 2009, 2:54 GMT
An undated photo released October 31st by North Korea\'s official Central News Agency shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-il (C, front) being briefed during his inspection of a chicken farm in North Pyongan Province. EPA/KCNA
Seoul - The United States needs to decide whether it wants to engage in bilateral talks with North Korea on the country's nuclear weapons programme, the Foreign Ministry in Pyongyang said Monday.
If Washington remained unwilling, the Stalinist state would 'go its own way,' a ministry spokesman was quoted as saying by the state-run Korean Central News Agency.
'As we have shown generosity and expressed a position that we can have multilateral negotiations after talks with the US, it is time for the US to make a decision,' the spokesman said.
North Korea linked its return to the six-party talks, also including South Korea, China, Japan, Russia and the US, which it unilaterally quit in April, with the progress of direct negotiations with Washington.
The US remains cautious on bilateral talks and urges North Korea to return to the six-party talks, which were abandoned by Pyongyang following international criticism of its long-range missile launches.
The country conducted its second nuclear test in May.
The North's deputy nuclear envoy, Ri Gun, met with US officials during a week-long trip to the United States in late October.
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