BEIJING. Aug 25 (Interfax-AVN) - The fourth round of the six-nation talks on Korea's nuclear problem will more than likely not resume on September 2, a North Korean diplomatic source told Interfax on Thursday.
Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Wu Dawei had said in Tokyo earlier this week that the talks might resume on September 2.
"In our opinion, it's not very likely that the fourth round in the six-nation talks will resume next week," the North Korean source said in remarks about the statement by the Chinese.
"North Korean and U.S. negotiators met three times after the fourth round was suspended on August 7. Unfortunately, no significant changes have appeared in the United States' position and this is the main obstacle slowing progress in the six-nation negotiating process," the source said.
"The U.S. announced earlier this week that it would be prepared to soften its position on the peaceful use of nuclear energy by North Korea. The content of the U.S. proposals, voiced in bilateral consultations during the lull in the fourth round, was that North Korea should first give up its military nuclear programs and return to the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and then the problem of peaceful use of nuclear energy in North Korea might be discussed," he said.
"In our opinion, this approach cannot be accepted, as it goes against 'the tactics of simultaneous steps' being proposed by North Korea, which means that the U.S. is seeking unilateral gains," the North Korean source said.
"In that case, North Korea will not have any legal guarantees of its right to run peaceful nuclear programs and will merely fulfill the United States' demands," he said.
"If the U.S. does not make radical changes in its position, if it does not recognize North Korea's right to run peaceful nuclear research programs, the interval in the fourth round of the six-nation talks may last too long," the source added.
The six-nation talks on the Korean nuclear problem involve North and South Koreas, China, the U.S., Russia and Japan.