WASHINGTON, Jan. 5 (UPI) -- North Korea's insistence on preconditions delays the second round of talks on the nuclear stalemate, the U.S. State Department said Monday.
"We're not going to offer incentives for North Korea to return to the negotiating table," said Deputy Spokesman Adam Ereli. "We are prepared to resume talks without preconditions. No other party has set preconditions, and we urge the North to drop its preconditions and move to another round of talks."
Erlie referred to the six-party talks that include the two Koreas, the United States, China, Japan and Russia. The effort began with a meeting in Beijing in August, but a recent attempt to reconvene discussions stalled over Washington's refusal to promise economic aid or security guarantees in advance of Pyongyang's dismantling of its nuclear weapons program.
On Friday the U.S. government distanced itself from two private U.S. delegations that will visit the North this week. But on Monday Ereli said that because the visitors are on Senate committees that deal with the State Department, "It certainly woudn't be surprising if, following their trip, we did have discussions with them to sort of share information and views on what they experienced there."
