Informal discussions on the North Korean nuclear crisis ended today with optimism that Pyongyang would return to six-country negotiations, the organizer said.
“Conference participants agreed that discussions were frank and constructive and we are optimistic that the North Koreans will return to the Six Party Talks,” Donald Zagoria of the National Committee on American Foreign Policy said in a written statement.
Participants included officials from all six countries involved in the long-stalled formal negotiations on Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programs, the United States, North Korea, South Korea, Japan, China and Russia.
Zagoria, who did not immediately make himself available to answer questions, said the committee would continue to hold additional conferences in the future “in the hopes of facilitating a peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue.“
His statement did not give any details as to a date when the six-party talks would resume, although speculation has focused on the latter part of July.