Press Availability With Director-General Kenichiro Sasae

[Note: This press availability was conducted jointly with Director-General Kenichiro Sasae. DG Sasae spoke in Japanese, so the questions directed to him and his answers are not included here, except as needed to provide context for A/S Hill’s responses.]

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: Thank you very much. First of all, it's a pleasure to come back here in Tokyo and have the opportunity to talk with my good friend and colleague Kenichiro Sasae about our mutual endeavor, which is the Six-Party Talks. Two weeks ago we were together in Washington, and we talked about the value of having a meeting between myself and Kim Gye Gwan. And we discussed what we might discuss in that encounter. So what we also agreed on is that after I had the meeting – and at the time, we weren’t sure where it was going to be, and it turned out to be in Berlin – but that after I did that, I would come back to Tokyo, and we would follow up the discussion.

So that's what we've been doing today. I would say the meetings in Berlin were indeed useful. They were very concrete. We discussed some of the specific issues that we would need to negotiate in the Six-Party Talks. But in no way were those meetings in Berlin a substitute for the Six-Party Talks. And so I think what was for me most important about the meetings in Berlin was that we agreed on the need to get back to the Six-Party Talks as soon as possible. And I think we've just had a good discussion about when we can restart the talks in the hopes that this time we can make some real progress.

So I'm looking forward to going to Beijing tomorrow and to talking to the Chinese hosts about when they believe they could get the talks going. We are committed to trying to make the Six-Party process work and to achieve the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. And also looking beyond denuclearization, we also want to achieve good relations among the states in the region.

So, thank you very much.

QUESTION: According to the Russian press, the Six-Party Talks will begin on February 6. Is it true?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: I’m not aware of that. I haven't read the Russian press, but it will depend, I think, on the Chinese hosts, and I will be consulting with them. I'm sure the ROK, I'm sure the Japanese Government, and I'm sure the Russians will also be consulting with the Chinese and when the Chinese are able to host the talks. Our view is that they should try to do it as soon as everybody can agree. And from my point of view – from the U.S. point of view – we would be prepared to move very quickly to have the talks.

QUESTION: Is February 6 one of the options of the dates?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: I don't rule it out, but I haven't talked to the Chinese about the actual date.

QUESTION: [Translated from Japanese] Did North Korea reach an agreement with Assistant Secretary Hill to restart the Six-Party Talks?

DIRECTOR-GENERAL SASAE: [Translated from Japanese] Perhaps that question would be better answered by Assistant Secretary Hill.

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: Well, as I said, these were useful discussions we had in Berlin. And I thought it was significant that the DPRK did want to proceed with the Six-Party Talks. And I think there was a view between the two of us that we should try to have the Six-Party Talks as soon as we can have them. Now when I go tomorrow to Beijing, I will be speaking on behalf of the United States to say to the Chinese hosts that when the Chinese are able to have them, we would like to have them. But I'm not speaking for the other delegations. We would like to do it as soon as possible, but we know everybody has to make their preparations.

QUESTION: Has there been a change in the tenor of the talks with the North Koreans? It seems like there was a meeting of the minds in Berlin, some agreement on some issues. Is there a softening or a coming around in their position that you've noticed?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: Well, let me just say that in December – The last time that we had these bilateral discussions with the North Koreans was at the end of November, when we did that in Beijing. But compared to the end of November I would say it was more substantive and more useful.

QUESTION: [Translated from Japanese] I believe that yesterday you said in an interview that there was “some” agreement with North Korea. Regarding the agreement, does it include having North Korea accept IAEA inspections?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: First of all, I think the KCNA report was a positive assessment of our discussions in Berlin. You know, I'm glad they have a positive assessment, because we too felt those discussions were very useful. And we certainly did agree on the need to get going with the Six-Party Talks and the need to make progress. So again, these were substantive discussions. They were useful discussions. I think that assessment is shared by KCNA, and as you know, KCNA is not always so positive about the Six-Party process.

QUESTION: [Translated from Japanese] Japan will, of course, seek progress on the abduction issue?

DG SASAE: [Translated from Japanese] It is the position of the Japanese government that we will make efforts to resolve all outstanding Japan-DPRK issues from various positions.

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: I would just like to add that our cooperation with Japan has really been very excellent, and from our point of view, we have had really excellent discussions about the issues, about how to proceed. We've been doing this, really, ever since the September agreement was reached. I remember Mr. Sasae came very soon to Washington. We discussed how we might proceed with the next phase. So our ability to coordinate our approaches has been very, very strong, and I look forward as we go forward in the Six-Party Talks to continuing this very strong U.S.-Japanese coordination of our policies.

QUESTION: Mr. Hill, what is the difficulty to decide where to hold meetings for financial issues?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: I don't think there will be a difficulty. I'm sure they’ll work out where to hold the meetings and precisely which date. I'm sure that can be worked out. Thank you very much.