Second day of US, North Korea nuclear talks is "useful"

Oct 25, 2011, 16:13 GMT

Geneva - US and North Korea want to maintain negotiations over Pyongyang's nuclear programme, a senior US official said Tuesday, after a second day of talks in Geneva.

Stephen Bosworth, the US special envoy for North Korea policy, spoke of a 'useful meeting,' in which he said the two sides 'narrowed differences.'

The United States has been attempting to get North Korea to return to the so-called six-party talks on Pyongyang's nuclear programme, after the country in 2008 turned its back on the talks, which also include South Korea, Japan, China and Russia.

The Geneva round, which followed a meeting between the US and North Korean sides in New York in July, was aimed at determining whether Pyongyang is ready to comply with the UN framework for the six-party talks.

These include concrete steps by North Korea toward denuclearization, as called for under UN resolutions.

As expected, there was no formal agreement or accord, not even on the question of whether negotiations would resume bilaterally or through the six-party process. Bosworth said the tone of the discussion was positive, but added: 'More time is needed.'

'With continuing efforts we can reach a reasonable basis ... for formal negotiations for the return to the six-party process,' the US envoy added.

He told journalists that the US would remain in touch with the North Korean UN representation in New York.

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