����WASHINGTON, June 21 (Xinhuanet) -- The United States said Friday
that it will hold direct talks with the Democratic People's Republic of
Korea (DPRK) in "weeks, not months."
����"We expect direct talks with North Korea to begin in a matter of
weeks, not months," James Kelly, assistant secretary of state for East
Asian affairs, said at a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.
����The Bush administration, which suspended dialogues with Pyongyang
after assuming office in January last year, has recentlysought to resume
direct talks with the Asian country.
����U.S. Special Envoy Jack Pritchard reportedly met with DPRK
representatives to the United Nations in New York last week to arrange a
visit by himself to Pyongyang.
����In a routine meeting to coordinate their policies towards the
Korean peninsula in San Francisco earlier this week, the U.S., Japan and
South Korea agreed to engage the DPRK through direct dialogues for the
sake of "peace and prosperity in Northeast Asia."
����In a joint communique issued after the San Francisco meeting, they
said they faced a "critical opportunity" to improve relationswith the
DPRK. Enditem
