Summit on North Korean Nuclear Weapons Yields Mixed Results

Earlier in the day, North Korea, the United States and four other countries attending a summit in Beijing had reportedly agreed to work toward the goal of a nuclear-free Korean peninsula.

“The parties reiterated that denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula is the common goal of all sides and the nuclear issue should be resolved peacefully through diplomatic means,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in an announcement Thursday.

However, North Korean officials reportedly later talked about the possibility of weapons tests, which observers say would escalate the current conflict.

U.S. officials, while reportedly remaining firm in their demands that North Korea end its nuclear program, said the overall results of the meetings were positive.

“We believe there’s been excellent cooperation in the talks among the five partners of the United States,” White House spokeswoman Claire Buchan told reporters.

Representatives from North Korea, South Korea, Japan, the United States, Russia and China agreed to hold more meetings aimed at defusing tension over North Korea’s nuclear program after the current round of talks ends Friday.

“All participants in the talks understand that the next round of talks should not be delayed and it should be held within two months,” said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov, according to the Russian news agency ITAR-Tass.

North Korea initially demanded that the United States engage in direct bilateral talks and sign a nonaggression treaty. U.S. officials dismissed those demands and insisted on multilateral talks that include North Korea’s regional neighbors and longtime ally, Russia.

However, diplomats from North Korea and the United States did sit down for an informal private discussion on Wednesday. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly and North Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Yong Il reportedly met for a half-hour talk in between the formal group discussions.

North Korea has contended that it needs a nuclear deterrent to fend off possible aggressive action by the United States. North Korean officials have cited President George Bush’s “Axis of Evil” speech — wherein he lumped together Iraq, Iran and North Korea as nations that threaten the United States and the world — as an example of American hostility.

American government officials have said the United States has no hostile intentions toward North Korea, but have also demanded the communist country halt the nuclear program that officials admitted it had re-started earlier this year.

News reports from the talks have said that North Korea is continuing to ask that the United States sign a binding treaty that says it will not attack North Korea. But U.S. officials continue to insist the United States won’t enter into such an agreement.

U.S. officials reportedly believe North Korea may have one or two nuclear weapons and is in the process of developing more.

The six countries involved in the talks are expected to release a joint statement on Friday.