2024-03-22 18:31:17
The United States is ready to discuss with the DPRK, including the prospects for easing sanctions against Pyongyang and the possibility of reducing risks. This was announced by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Jeong Pak, who is also a senior American official on the DPRK, Day.Az reports with reference to TASS.
According to her, Washington “wants dialogue” with Pyongyang. “We can have a lot of valuable discussions with North Korea, including on risk reduction, to reduce the risk of miscalculation or inadvertent escalation. But we can also talk about sanctions, or confidence-building, or humanitarian cooperation,” said the US foreign policy official. “This is what we mean when we talk about the absence of preconditions in proposals for dialogue. There are no preconditions. And we need to discuss a lot with the DPRK,” Jeong Pak said, speaking at the Washington Center for Strategic and International Studies.
At the same time, she confirmed that the United States is still trying to achieve denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. “The policy has not changed. Our goal is the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” the diplomat emphasized.
“And, of course, we always call for dialogue with the DPRK. We made contact privately and publicly, through third parties, trying to initiate some kind of diplomatic interaction with the DPRK, because we believe that this is the only way to ensure peace and security in Korean Peninsula,” the State Department spokeswoman said.
She indicated that, according to Washington’s assessments, there is now no threat of hostilities breaking out on the Korean Peninsula, despite Pyongyang’s numerous missile test launches. “However, I do not think that we are on the verge of war. We do not see any signals, evidence indicating [какое-то] attack [со стороны КНДР] in the near future. I also don’t think it’s in the best interest [лидера КНДР] Kim Jong-un to start a war,” said Jong Park.
She added that in the current situation, “sanctions [в отношении Северной Кореи] must be maintained in any case.” “We are obliged to do this, to adhere to such sanctions <...>. However <...> diplomacy is the art of the possible and, perhaps, the impossible,” said the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, promising that Washington will continue to try to establish contact with Pyongyang “for negotiations,” “press on China and Russia,” calling on Moscow and Beijing to facilitate the efforts of the American side .
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