North Korea appears ready for N-talks

WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration said on Thursday that North Korea appeared ready to agree to propose multiparty talks to try to resolve the impasse over the North's refusal to dismantle its rapidly accelerating nuclear weapons program.

Administration officials and Asian diplomats said that while no formal word had been received in Washington, there were several indications that months of pressure had been successful in getting North Korea to meet the U.S. demand for talks to include South Korea, Japan and possibly Russia.

Foremost among these signs was an announcement in Moscow from the Russian Foreign Ministry that North Korea had accepted the proposal for multiparty talks including Russia. It had not been clear until then that Russia would participate.

Subsequently, administration officials said that in a telephone conversation on Wednesday, President Hu Jintao of China had told President Bush that he expected a positive response from Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea.

Richard A. Boucher, the State Department spokesman, said the United States was "very encouraged" by these signs, but he and other officials said there had been no formal acceptance transmitted. Asian and U.S. diplomats said the talks could occur in August but that September was more likely.

The standoff over who should participate in such talks, while seemingly obscure, has been a contentious issue throughout the latest crisis over North Korea, which began last October when the Pyongyang government admitted it had violated a promise not to produce nuclear weapons.

North Korea has persistently said that its main security threat comes from the United States and that it would only negotiate with Washington. In addition, Pyongyang said it would only reach a deal to end its nuclear weapons program in return for large infusions of aid and U.S. guarantees that it will not be attacked.

With equal persistence, the Bush administration has refused to exclude Japan and South Korea from any negotiation, in part because their publics would not tolerate a deal worked out without them and in part because Washington feels any possible deal is more enforceable if more countries participate.

"The more people are involved, the more chances of a deal that will be respected," said a senior administration official. "That's the reason we have not gone along with bilateral attacks. It's much better if North Korea negotiates with people on whom it depends for help."

The development on the talks was seen as significant but far short of anything indicating an imminent breakthrough.

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