AFP
Wednesday, December 13, 2006

North Korea has indicated it is ready to "deal in specifics" about giving up its newly proven nuclear arsenal when it returns to six-party disarmamant negotiations next week in Beijing, the top US negotiator said Wednesday.
But Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill predicted "very tough negotiations" when the talks resume on Monday after a 13-month break and said there were no guarantees the process would achieve its goal of dismantling North Korea's nuclear weapons program.

"I'm not here to predict success or express optimism," said Hill, who has held two rounds of preliminary talks with the North Koreans since they agreed to return to the negotiating table after carrying out their first test of a nuclear bomb on October 9.

Hill said that during one round of meetings on November 27 and 28 in Beijing, "there were indications that the DPRK, the North Koreans, would be prepared to deal in specifics at the coming round".

"The Chinese have also been in direct contact with the North Koreans on several occasions, and they also have reason to believe that we will see some specific ideas for moving ahead," he said.