08.08.2013, 17:00
The United States and North Korea held informal talks this week in Geneva, South Korea's Foreign Ministry said Thursday. "I am aware that such a meeting has been held. It was not attended by any U.S. government officials," Foreign Ministry spokesman Cho Tai Young said at a press briefing, confirming an earlier report by South Korea's Yonhap News Agency, which said that U.S. and North Korean representatives arranged a meeting in Switzerland. Cho did not state when the talks were held, declining to give further details.
Yonhap reported Wednesday that Joel Wit—a former U.S. State Department official under the Clinton administration—will meet with North Korean Foreign Ministry officials for the so-called Track II discussion, an informal meeting with the aim of conflict resolution. "North Korea and the U.S. plan to have an informal meeting in a civilian-government format, not through their official diplomatic channel," an unidentified source was quoted by Yonhap as saying, adding that "The U.S. government is not involved in the meeting."
The six-party talks on North Korea's denuclearization—involving the two Koreas, China, the United States, Japan and Russia—have been stalled since 2008.
Yonhap reported Wednesday that Joel Wit—a former U.S. State Department official under the Clinton administration—will meet with North Korean Foreign Ministry officials for the so-called Track II discussion, an informal meeting with the aim of conflict resolution. "North Korea and the U.S. plan to have an informal meeting in a civilian-government format, not through their official diplomatic channel," an unidentified source was quoted by Yonhap as saying, adding that "The U.S. government is not involved in the meeting."
The six-party talks on North Korea's denuclearization—involving the two Koreas, China, the United States, Japan and Russia—have been stalled since 2008.