Gillard will talk with N. Korea only after nuke issue resolution
April 25th, 2011 - 4:10 pm ICT by ANICanberra, Apr 25 (ANI): Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has said her country will talk with North Korea once it resolves the controversial nuclear issue.
‘There’s no point just saying ’sit down and talk’, if the talks are not going to achieve anything,’ The Age quoted Gillard, as saying.
The move came amid reports that the North Korea is at risk of mass starvation on a scale it has not experienced in over a decade following summer floods, an extreme winter and general economic dislocation.
South Korea, the United States and Australia, however, have dismissed the prospect of talks until North Korea meets tough preconditions.
North Korean officials have made approached American and European diplomats about restarting talks on nuclear weapons and food aid, officials with knowledge of the discussions said.
South Korea, however, has sought for the North’s apology over last year’s two deadly attacks before heading towards any dialogue.
‘I think negotiations will be only possible once North Korea has displayed a clear position regarding its provocations with the Cheonan warship incident and the artillery attacks on Yeonpyeong Island,’ South Korea’s Minister of Defence, Kim Kwan-jin, said.
North Korean military officials have set aside the prospect of ending the North’s nuclear weapons program in exchange for a peace treaty. (ANI)
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Tags: aid officials, artillery attacks, australian prime minister, cheonan, economic dislocation, extreme winter, food aid, issue resolution, julia gillard, korean officials, mass starvation, minister of defence, north korea, nuclear issue, nuclear weapons program, peace treaty, preconditions, provocations, south korea, summer floods