Extracts. US Says New York Talks with DPRK Useful Start The meeting between the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in New York on Wednesday is a useful start, the State Department said. "The meeting was business-like and a meaningful beginning to the dialogue process," State Department spokesman Philip Reeker said of the meeting between Jack Pritchard, U.S. special envoy for Korean peace talks, and Li Hyong-chol, DPRK's permanent representative to the United Nations. "Mr. Pritchard is expected back in Washington this evening. We expect our discussions to continue," Reeker said. He gave no details of the content of the meeting, which was the first since U.S. President George W. Bush took office in January. Facing increasing domestic and international pressure, the Bush administration announced earlier this month that it had wound up a lengthy review and decided to resume security talks with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. **** Pilots Strike Grounds Planes in S. Korea Planes were grounded, passengers stranded and roads blocked Tuesday as the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions called its members out on a general strike. The umbrella labor group said that about 50,000 workers at 126 union locals were participating in the strike. The Ministry of Labor scoffed at those figures, saying that only 15,000 workers at 68 work places were on full or partial strike. With both the Korean Air pilots union and the Asiana Airlines ground staff striking, Korea's two national-flag air carriers were shut down together for the first time. Most domestic flights of both lines did not take off. Angry passengers protested futilely as more than 300 domestic and international flights were canceled Tuesday. Korean Air and Asiana expected the strike action to continue on Wednesday. Overnight negotiations at the two airline companies broke down as the unions and management failed to narrow their differences over wages and the right to bargain collectively. Sources familiar with the negotiations said, however, that the lack of trust between the union and the management was the real issue at hand. Management feels betrayed by the pilots, who are seeking a second wage increase in just six months, even though Korean Air is incurring debts, the sources said. Management also is irritated that the workers are bringing up issues that it thought had been resolved in past negotiations. For their part, the striking pilots believe the company is paying foreign pilots too much, compared to what Korean ones get. They also think the management is intentionally postponing the implementation of accords reached in the past having to do with a pilot's "down" time between flights. The situation at Asiana is somewhat more promising. The only issue there is wage increases, and the sides are thought to be near to settling on a 4.5 percent increase. Only 41 of Korean Air's 95 scheduled international flights got off the ground Tuesday. A similar reduction appears inevitable on Wednesday. Asiana operated all its international flights as scheduled. Its officials said they believe normal operation to be possible for at least the next five days. **** Israeli, Palestinian Truce Meeting Fails to Close Gaps Israeli and Palestinian security chiefs ended a meeting in Tel Aviv on Wednesday without results on how to implement a ceasefire plan proposed by George Tenet, director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. The Palestinians complained that Israel was not prepared for the nearly five-hour meeting, which was called by Tenet, and that Israel did not commit to specific steps, such as lifting closure on the Palestinian towns, Israeli press reports said. Tenet has left for the United States following his efforts to secure a ceasefire deal between Israel and the Palestinians. But U.S. officials said that the Tel Aviv meeting was " constructive and productive" and that the two sides "have already started implementing a ceasefire on the ground," Israeli television said. The Palestinian security force in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday checked for weapons on Palestinian vehicles to prevent possible attacks on Israeli settlers. The Israelis and Palestinians are also expected to implement the requirements of the ceasefire plan within a week. The Israeli television said that Israel has relented its demand for the Palestinians to arrest activists of the radical Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and Islamic Jihad (or Holy War) at this stage. The Palestinians have rejected the demand. The Palestinians also call for Israeli troop withdrawal to the positions before the outbreak of the violence last September. Israel, however, said that it will redeploy its troops only after there is a "complete cessation of violence." Earlier reports said that the two sides were likely to hold further sessions Wednesday night so as to sign on the Tenet document. But it is now not clear whether they would go ahead with their plan. With two sides still disagreeing on several issues, it is questionable whether the Tenet plan can turn the fragile relative calm into a sustainable ceasefire in the occupied Palestinian territories. **** Iran Denies Sending Troops to Lebanese, Palestinian Borders Iran on Tuesday denied reports on deployment of its troops along the Lebanese and Palestinian borders, saying that it was "sheer lies" by Israel. The reports carried by Israeli papers were "utter fabrication and were meant to create tension, invent excuses for fresh clashes in the region, and intensify Israeli aggressions against the Palestinians," Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told the official IRNA news agency. Earlier on Sunday, Israel also accused Iran of boosting support for Palestinian radical Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and the Islamic Jihad (Holy War). "The Zionist regime (Israel) and its supporters feel frustrated at the continuing Palestinian intifada (uprising) and despite their carnage of innocent Palestinians, their predictions have proved to be wrong," Asefi said. The publication of false news would never tempt the Palestinians, Lebanese and Syrians to think twice about their resolve to secure their denied rights, he added. **** Putin Marks Russia Day with Award President Vladimir Putin marked ``Russia Day'' Tuesday with veiled criticism of Boris Yeltsin's patchy record on reform, then promptly bestowed an award on his predecessor for services to the nation. Putin signed a decree making Yeltsin the first Russian to receive the ``Order of Merit of the Fatherland, First Grade'' at a Kremlin reception marking Russia Day. Yeltsin, whose shock resignation on New Year's Eve, 1999, catapulted Putin into the presidency, attended the glittering Kremlin event with his wife Naina and scores of figures from Russia's political, business and cultural life. ``Today we mark the 10th anniversary of the institution of the Russian presidency. This day is an historic day linked to the name of Russia's first president, Boris Nikolaevich Yeltsin,'' Putin said. June 12 marks Yeltsin's 1991 election as president of the Russian Federation, but also coincides with the anniversary of a 1990 vote by the Congress of People's Deputies setting out Russia's democratic goals within the Soviet Union. Although officially the main state public holiday, an opinion poll broadcast by NTV television revealed most Russians were confused about what they are actually celebrating. Only nine percent knew that June 12 is officially the ``Day of the Passage of the Declaration of State Sovereignty,'' while 57 percent mistakenly thought it was independence day. **** President Jiang Meets Journalists of Four Nations President Jiang Zemin met journalists from Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan Thursday morning in Shanghai. The journalists are here to cover the Sixth Summit of "Shanghai Five" scheduled for June 14-15. **** Rasmussen: Denmark Wishes to Develop Comprehensive Cooperation with China Roul Nyrup Rasmussen, prime minister of Denmark <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/denmark.html> , expressed Denmark's wish to develop comprehensive cooperation with China in the realms of economy, trade, environmental protection, energy, and science and education. Rasmussen remarked that in order to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Denmark and China, he made a successful visit to China last year. He said over the past 20 years, China had scored tremendous achievements in economic development, which left a deep impression on him. During his China visit, he had invited Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/people/zhurongji.shtml> to visit Denmark. He expressed his hope to meet with Premier Zhu at the Fourth Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) to be held in Copenhagen next year. Rasmussen said that Denmark-China bilateral trade relations have a broad prospect. Since the beginning of this year, Denmark's exports to China have increased 44 percent over the same period last year, making China an important trade partner of Denmark, at present, more than 120 Danish enterprises have invested or set up representative offices in China. The Danish government has planned to establish a trade representative office in Chongqing <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/province/chongqing.html> , so as to stimulate Danish enterprises' participation in the large-scale development of China's western region. Denmark has all along supported China's entry into the World Trade Organization <http://www.wto.org/> (WTO) and hopes that China will be able to become a full member of the WTO before the WTO's fourth round of multilateral negotiations. Rasmussen stressed that the Danish government has always adhered to the one-China principle and acknowledged the fact that Taiwan <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/province/taiwan.html> is an inalienable part of Chinese territory. "As an old friend of the Chinese people I would like to reaffirm this stand of Denmark," said the Prime Minister. He said, "We need China, the world needs China which, in turn, also needs the world. We hope to see a more developed and prosperous China." Rasmussen also answered questions, such as European integration, the EU Summit, Europe-America relations and Denmark's social welfare security system, put to him by the People's Daily <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/GB/paper464/> Delegation. The People's Daily Delegation visits Denmark at the invitation of Denmark's Berlingske Times. At noontime of June 12, Mr. Peter Wivel, editor-in-chief of Berlingske Times, had a cordial meeting with, and held a banquet for, the delegation, during which both sides had enthusiastic and friendly talks. **** Chinese Premier Meets Guests from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/people/zhurongji.shtml> met Wednesday with Uzbekistan <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/uzbekistan.html> Deputy Prime Minister Rustam Rasulovich Yunusov and Kyrgyzstan <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/kyrgyzstan.html> Minister of Transport Kubanychbek Zhumaliyev. The guests are here attending the second meeting of the three nations' joint working committee on railways. Zhu spoke highly of the progress made at the meeting, saying that construction of a railway linking the three countries will be of great significance to the existing friendship among them. The railway will also help promote economic and social development in the areas along it and increase economic and cultural exchanges between Asian and European countries, Zhu said. The premier said he hopes that the three nations will strengthen cooperation so as to finish the construction work at an early date. The guests expressed confidence in an early completion of the railway. _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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