South Korea would use the three-week recess of the fourth
six-party talks to make every diplomatic effort to narrow
differences between the US and North Korea, said a South Korean
senior official on Monday.??
"In a sense, Seoul's diplomatic role and ability has been put to
a real test," the unnamed official was quoted by South Korean
Yonhap News Agency as saying.
"It is Seoul that can broker a deal that seems to be difficult
to make between Pyongyang and Washington," said the official.
He also said the recess will not sap the energy of the talks,
but will inject fresh momentum into them.
He said since all the stances were on the table, full-scale
negotiations will start in the second stage of the fourth round of
talks.
"The talks are now aimed at finding a more fundamental measure
for regional peace as well as ending the nuclear issue," he
said.
Last Sunday, the six parties, China, the US, Russia, Japan,
North and South Korea, decided to take a recess for the fourth
round of six-party talks and to embark on second stage of the talks
in the last week of August.
(Xinhua News Agency August 9, 2005)