The U.S. State Department said it expects a meeting in Beijing next week on ending North Korea's nuclear program to be difficult, but that no consideration is being given to scrapping the six-party talks. The senior U.S. delegate to the talks Friday ended a two day set of preparatory meetings in Singapore with his North Korean counterpart.
美国国务院表示，预计下周在北京召开的北韩无核化六方会谈将很困难，但是并没有取消这轮会谈的想法。参加会谈的美国高级代表星期五结束了在新加坡同北韩代表举行的两天预备会议。
Officials at the U.S. State Department said the Chinese- sponsored meeting due to begin Monday will likely be no less difficult than previous meetings on the North Korean nuclear program. But they said even though China has yet to officially announce the meeting, they do expect the six-party session to go forward as planned.
有关官员说，这次由中国担任东道国的六方会谈定于星期一开始。这次有关北韩核项目问题的会议的难度不会小於先前的几轮会谈。不过他们说，虽然中国还没有正式宣布举行会谈的消息，但他们预计这次六方会谈能够如期举行。
All six heads of delegations to the long-running talks are to convene in Beijing to approve a verification plan for the declaration of its nuclear holdings and activities North Korea made last June.
六方会谈已经进行了很长时间。所有参与国的首席谈判代表这一次将在北京开会，争取批准一项计划，用于核实北韩去年6月提交的北韩核项目材料及活动清单的真实性。
Approval of a verification protocol is to open the way to the final phase of the intricate agreement reached last year, under which North Korea is to eventually scrap its nuclear program, including weapons, in return for energy aid and diplomatic benefits from the other parties.
去年各方达成一项复杂的协议。根据该协议，北韩最终将放弃核项目，包括核武器，以换取其它五方提供的经济援助和外交利益。批准核实机制为实施该协议最后一个阶段的内容打开了大门。
The latest snag in the process involves whether disarmament inspectors can remove samples from North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear complex for outside analysis.
这一进程遇到的最新阻碍是，负责检查北韩非核化工作的人员是否可以从宁边核反应堆拿走采样，到外面进行分析。
Chief U.S. delegate Christopher Hill said North Korea agreed to sampling, at least verbally, in talks in Pyongyang in July. The North Koreans later said they made no such commitment.
美国首席谈判代表、负责东亚事务的助理国务卿希尔说，在今年7月于平壤举行的谈判中，北韩至少在口头上同意允许核查人员进行采样。不过北韩官员后来表示没有做过这种承诺。
Hill, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian Affairs, met in Singapore with his North Korean counterpart Kim Kye-Gwan. Both said Friday they had extensive discussions on verification issues but did not indicate they had reached a final agreement.
希尔本周在新加坡会晤了北韩首席谈判代表金桂冠。双方星期五都表示在核项目确认问题上进行了深入讨论，但并没有说他们达成了最终协议。
At a news briefing here, Deputy State Department Spokesman Robert Wood said that would be the goal of the six-way meeting, which will include South Korea, Russia and Japan, along with the United States, North Korea and host China:
在美国国务院的一次新闻简报会上，副发言人伍德说，就核实问题达成最终协议将是六方会谈的目标。六方会谈的参与国包括韩国、俄罗斯、日本、美国、北韩和中国。
"Really where we are now is trying to get those understandings and assurances that the North Koreans provided Chris [Hill], in addition to those understandings on verification, to get all of this on paper and codified at the six-party heads of delegation meeting. So the negotiations on that will take place in Beijing and hopefully we will have a final verification protocol after that meeting," said Wood.
伍德说：“我们目前真正想做的是把北韩向希尔所表达的那种理解和保证，以及双方在核实问题上的理解都在六方会谈时写在书面上，成为正式文件。各方会在北京进行谈判，我们希望在会谈后能够看到最终的核实机制。”
Both Wood and North Korean envoy Kim in Singapore said there was no reason why the Beijing meeting should not go forward, despite the lack of an official announcement.
伍德和北韩特使金桂冠都表示，虽然中国还没有正式宣布将在北京举行六方会谈，但是会谈没有理由不举行。
Wood said Assistant Secretary Hill will go to Seoul on Saturday and then on to Beijing Sunday where he will consult with the Japanese, Chinese, South Korean and Russian envoys on the eve of the opening of the six-way meeting.
伍德说，希尔将在星期六前往首尔，在星期天前往北京，在六方会谈召开前夕听取日本、中国、韩国和俄罗斯谈判代表们的意见。
Their discussions will also cover a delivery schedule for heavy fuel oil committed to North Korea in return for the disablement of the Yongbyon reactor complex.
North Korea has slowed the disablement process, saying that nearly half the one million tons of fuel it has been promised has not been delivered.
Japan has refused to join other parties in providing oil, because it said Pyongyang has not fully accounted for Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea agents in the 1980's. |