STORM2K

Posted: **Wed Apr 16, 2003 1:18 pm**

U.S., N. Korea plan talks in China
Wednesday, April 16, 2003 Posted: 10:38 AM EDT (1438 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The United States and North Korea will meet face to face for the first time in over six months, holding multilateral talks in Beijing next week, according to an administration official.

Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly will represent the United States in the talks, set to take place April 23-25th.

The negotiations, centering on Pyongyang's suspected nuclear weapons program, will take place in Beijing with China acting as a full participant, the New York Times and South Korea's Yonyap news service both reported Wednesday.

The Bush adminstration had refused talks that did not include other countries in the region, saying they would not give into "nuclear blackmail."

The move comes after North Korea backtracked on its calls for direct 'face-to- face' talks with Washington, signaling it was now willing to go ahead with U.S. demands for multilateral negotiations.

Full story: http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/asiapcf/east/04/16/nkorea.talks/index.html

Posted: **Wed Apr 16, 2003 1:27 pm**

Maybe is the word because until those talks start and some progress has been made in those nothing is for certain but at least they are going to talk so the escalating tensions between the US and NK may go down but let's wait and see if the talks are useful.

Posted: **Wed Apr 16, 2003 2:10 pm**

Hopefully this will ease tensions a bit. Clinton gave into nuclear blackmail in '94, but thankfully this administration will not put up with it.

Posted: **Wed Apr 16, 2003 2:14 pm**

At least it's a first step and China is involved. IMO they allowed this to happen anyway.

STORM2K

Maybe a start to lowered tensions

Maybe a start to lowered tensions