wrbones
04-23-03, 11:27 AM
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/04/24/1050777319907.html
Russia warns of North Korean 'catastrophe'
April 24 2003
By Shane Green
Tokyo
Russia last night warned of an imminent catastrophe in the Korean nuclear crisis, despite signs that progress had been made in groundbreaking talks yesterday between North Korea, the US and China.
"It is probable that, as early as tomorrow, there will be a catastrophic development of events," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov said.
Mr Losyukov claimed the crisis over North Korea's nuclear arms program had "reached an extreme stage", but failed to give more details about his warning or what he meant by catastrophic.
The Russian warning came at the end of the first day of talks in Beijing between US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian Affairs James Kelly and officials from North Korea and China. Despite trying to broker a diplomatic solution, Russia has not been included in the meeting.
The unsettling comments by Mr Losyukov, made after talks with Japanese officials in Tokyo, were in stark contrast to other messages from the talks, which indicated that some progress was being made.
Diplomatic sources quoted by South Korea's Yonhap newsagency reported there had been "productive discussions" between the parties.
Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer played down Russia's fears. "I don't have a sense that anything dire is about to happen in the next day or two," he said.
The talks began against a backdrop of increasing tension in the crisis, with news that North Korean fighters have been sent on long-distance flights to counter US and Russian spy planes.
The fighters appear aimed at deterring surveillance planes spying on North Korea, and may also be training to counter the tactics successfully used by the US-led airforces over Iraq.
Yesterday's talks at Beijing's Diaoyutai State Guest House were the first since North Korea admitted to the US last October that it had a clandestine nuclear arms program, contravening an agreement it struck with Washington in 1994.
The multilateral talks are a breakthrough, given that North Korea until recently was demanding direct talks with the US.
But the meeting between the three countries was not expected to produce any significant progress, with US Secretary of State Colin Powell yesterday cautioning that "in this first set of meetings, nothing is being put on the table".
"They will hear our strong views," he said. "We expect the North Koreans to present their views strongly and we certainly expect the Chinese to present their views strongly."
Russia warns of North Korean 'catastrophe'
April 24 2003
By Shane Green
Tokyo
Russia last night warned of an imminent catastrophe in the Korean nuclear crisis, despite signs that progress had been made in groundbreaking talks yesterday between North Korea, the US and China.
"It is probable that, as early as tomorrow, there will be a catastrophic development of events," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov said.
Mr Losyukov claimed the crisis over North Korea's nuclear arms program had "reached an extreme stage", but failed to give more details about his warning or what he meant by catastrophic.
The Russian warning came at the end of the first day of talks in Beijing between US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian Affairs James Kelly and officials from North Korea and China. Despite trying to broker a diplomatic solution, Russia has not been included in the meeting.
The unsettling comments by Mr Losyukov, made after talks with Japanese officials in Tokyo, were in stark contrast to other messages from the talks, which indicated that some progress was being made.
Diplomatic sources quoted by South Korea's Yonhap newsagency reported there had been "productive discussions" between the parties.
Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer played down Russia's fears. "I don't have a sense that anything dire is about to happen in the next day or two," he said.
The talks began against a backdrop of increasing tension in the crisis, with news that North Korean fighters have been sent on long-distance flights to counter US and Russian spy planes.
The fighters appear aimed at deterring surveillance planes spying on North Korea, and may also be training to counter the tactics successfully used by the US-led airforces over Iraq.
Yesterday's talks at Beijing's Diaoyutai State Guest House were the first since North Korea admitted to the US last October that it had a clandestine nuclear arms program, contravening an agreement it struck with Washington in 1994.
The multilateral talks are a breakthrough, given that North Korea until recently was demanding direct talks with the US.
But the meeting between the three countries was not expected to produce any significant progress, with US Secretary of State Colin Powell yesterday cautioning that "in this first set of meetings, nothing is being put on the table".
"They will hear our strong views," he said. "We expect the North Koreans to present their views strongly and we certainly expect the Chinese to present their views strongly."