Nuclear talks in Beijing end; U.S., North hold one-on-one meeting

Friday, May 14th 2004, 8:59 am

By: News On 6

BEIJING (AP) _ U.S. and North Korean envoys held a rare one-on-one meeting Friday, and the North denied claims that Pakistan provided it with uranium enrichment technology, a North Korean official said at the end of three days of nuclear talks.

There was no immediate word on whether envoys made progress on the North's demand for aid in exchange for freezing its nuclear program. The United States and its allies say assistance will come only after North Korea pledges to dismantle the program completely _ a stance that the North rejected earlier Friday as ``humiliating.''

The six-nation ``working level'' talks held in the Chinese capital ended without setting a date for a third round of high-level talks, said Pak Myong Kuk, a member of the North's delegation. He said that date would be set later ``through diplomatic channels.''

``The talks are over,'' Pak told reporters outside the North Korean Embassy.

The U.S. Embassy in Beijing had no comment. China's Foreign Ministry said the talks would officially close Saturday but wouldn't give any other details.

The head of Russia's delegation, Valery Sukhinin, told the Itar-Tass news agency that new high-level talks would take place before July, following one more round of working-level talks.

Other participants in the talks are South Korea and Japan.

In the one-one-one meeting Friday, the United States told North Korea about claims that Pakistan had provided the North with uranium enrichment technology, Pak said.

``Such information is false,'' Pak said. ``As we have said before, there were only missile deals between us and Pakistan.''

The former head of Pakistan's nuclear program, Abdul Qadeer Khan, said in February that he had transferred sensitive technology to North Korea, Iran and Libya.

``The United States fabricated claims based on false information,'' Pak said. He said Washington was trying to create an ``anti-North Korea atmosphere.''

The talks this week were meant to work out technical details and help create an agenda for new high-level negotiations. Host China says it hopes those talks can take place by July.

In a separate announcement Friday, Japan said Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will travel to North Korea for wide-ranging talks with leader Kim Jong Il on May 22. The discussions will include the nuclear issue.

The dispute erupted in October 2002 when the United States said North Korea admitted operating a secret nuclear program in violation of a 1994 agreement.

The issue of uranium technology has been a key sticking point in the talks.

North Korea says it has a nuclear weapons program based on plutonium, but denies American claims that it also has a second secret program based on highly enriched uranium, which can be used to make bombs.

Washington is insisting that North Korea pledge to give up both programs as part of a comprehensive settlement _ a condition the North rejects.

North Korea reportedly demanded aid in exchange for freezing the nuclear program at the start of this week's talks.

Early Friday, the North angrily accused the United States of refusing to discuss energy or economic assistance.

The U.S. position ``is the kind of humiliating measure that can only be imposed on a country defeated in a war,'' said the earlier statement, also read by Pak to reporters who were summoned to the North's embassy.

But still, Pak said, the North promised to ``maintain patience'' and stick to the ``six-party process with patience.''

Responding to the North's complaints, a Japanese government spokesman said diplomats were trying to persuade it to accept the notion of permanently scrapping the program.

Negotiations are ``now at the stage of fully explaining why this principle has been established internationally and is needed, how to achieve it and how other countries are doing so,'' spokesman Hiroyuki Hosoda said in Tokyo.