The US envoy to North Korea said patience is needed in seeking the resumption of nuclear disarmament talks with the isolated state following his visit there this week. Speaking in Beijing after briefing Chinese officials on his meetings in Pyongyang, Stephen Bosworth stressed there was no firm timetable yet for restarting six party disarmament negotiations.
"This may be a time to exercise a bit of strategic patience," Bosworth said, echoing comments by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. "These were very useful talks in Pyongyang and I think everybody, including the North Koreans, will have to sort of sit still quietly for a bit and decide where we might go next," he added. Bosworth said there was no certainty about the pace of the process, adding he would neither rule in nor rule out fresh bilateral meetings with North Korea.
"How and when we resume the six party talks remains to be resolved," he said. North Korea hinted on Friday it could end its year-long boycott of nuclear negotiations, following the talks with Bosworth, who arrived in Beijing on Friday to brief Chinese officials about his three days of meetings in Pyongyang.