USA Promises Help to North Korea in Solving Energy Problems

The USA may help North Korea to solve problems of energy shortage if the situation around the Pyongyang nuclear programme is solved, special envoy of the US president and US Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly said in Seoul. If we cope with the nuclear weapons the USA and private investors, as well as other countries will likely help North Korea in the energy sphere, he said at a press conference following a meeting with the president-elect of the Republic of Korea Roh Moo-hyun.

According to reports coming from Seoul, Kelly confirmed that Washington was ready to hold negotiations with the DPRK but only concerning its responsibility before the international community. I think it will be better for us to wait and see, he said.

In October 2002, James Kelly visited Pyongyang as a special envoy of the US President. But at that time the sides quarreled completely instead of establishing a bilateral dialogue. Washington began accusing the DPRK of attempts to create nuclear weapons, and North Korea declared that it has the right to develop nuclear weapons since the USA did not fulfil its promise to build an atomic power station in the DPRK by 2003. Under this pretext North Korea "unfroze" its earlier investigations in the atomic power sphere and withdrew from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

On January 12th, James Kelly began his tour of the countries neighbouring on the DPRK, including China and Japan, with Seoul. US Undersecretary For Arms Control and International Security John Bolton will begin a similar visit to Beijing, Seoul and Tokyo on January 19th.