The US said yesterday it has no intention of negotiating any
bilateral agreement with North Korea, although the two sides will
continue bilateral discussions within the context of six-party
talks.??
"That approach was tried and it failed," White House
spokesperson Scott McClellan said at a news briefing.
"In terms of bilateral discussions that are going on, those are
discussions that relate to the modalities of the talks, and it's a
way for us also to understand North Korea's position and to explain
our views as well," he said.
The US has also had bilateral discussions with other delegations
within the context of six-party talks, the spokesperson added.
He stressed that the US wants to see progress made toward the
goal of a denuclearized Korean Peninsula, but admitted that the
six-party talks "is going to be a deliberative, methodical process"
that will take time.
The fourth round of six-party talks is currently being held in
Beijing.
(Xinhua News Agency July 29, 2005)