North Korea insists on right to peaceful nuclear programme

North Korea today insisted it has a right to a peaceful nuclear programme, dimming prospects for progress at international talks on ending the communist nation’s atomic weapons programme.

Envoys were arriving in Beijing for the resumption later today of six-nation talks on the issue. The latest round, the fourth since 2003, broke for a recess last month after a record 13 straight days of talks failed to yield an agreement.

The North’s demands for a civilian nuclear programme have become a sticking point, with Washington strongly resisting the notion, saying North Korea’s record proves it can’t be trusted with any atomic project.

North Korean chief negotiator Kim Kye Gwan said before he left for Beijing that his country would not tolerate any obstruction to its right to a peaceful nuclear programme, China’s official Xinhua News Agency reported.

“This right is neither awarded nor needs to be approved by others,” Kim said in Pyongyang. “If the United States tries to set obstacle to (North Korea’s) using this right, we can utterly not accept that.”

US Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill yesterday said he wasn’t sure how long the talks would last, but would know more after contacts with the North Koreans.

No one-on-one meetings between the sides were planned, but Hill said he expected to speak with the North at a dinner this evening for all delegates.

“I know that my delegation is coming here to work, we know pretty precisely what the issues are. I hope the (North Korean) delegation has also done some homework,” Hill said as he arrived at his hotel.

US and North Korean diplomats met twice in New York over the past month, but Hill said there hadn't been progress on resolving the impasse beyond gaining an understanding of the North’s position.

“Although I must tell you that their position does seem to be evolving a little,” Hill said without elaborating.

Hill also said he would meet with the head Chinese negotiator before the talks begin.

South Korea’s chief negotiator called for envoys to be open-minded at the talks.

“If each party can be a little more flexible in its position there will be good results, but if they stick to their current position, good results will be hard to expect,” South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Song Min-soon said as he arrived in Beijing.

Japan and Russia are also participating in the negotiations.

Last week in Washington, Hill reiterated a set of measures – including energy aid offered by South Korea – that he said would make it unnecessary for North Korea “to go and develop additional capacity, especially through such very difficult and extremely expensive projects as nuclear energy.”