Evening Walk-Through at Six-Party Talks

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: I was over at the Foreign Ministry today, and we had a lengthy meeting on bilateral issues, in particular on preparation for Secretary Rice’s trip here next week. And then tomorrow morning I have meeting also at the MFA with He Yafei.

QUESTION: So did you meet with Mr. Wu Dawei today?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: No, he is not here today. So I’m going to meet him later in the trip -- probably in Tokyo.

QUESTION: Are you going to meet with the North Koreans here? Is there still that possibility?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: Well, as is always our practice, we always let them know that I am here, and we don’t have anything set up yet. But if it’s possible, I am here tomorrow. But we don’t have any meetings scheduled just yet.

QUESTION: But you would like to have a meeting?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: If the DPRK is interested, I am here.

QUESTION: What would you say is the purpose of your trip? Because it seems like the Six-Party Talks are kind of stalled right now, is it to sort of revive the talks?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: No, the purpose is that we have Secretary Rice coming out here for her first trip in a quite a while actually. So I am here to discuss some of the elements of that visit. And also to talk to Six-Party members about how we are perceiving the situation. Just to sort of be in touch.

QUESTION: Can you tell us how the U.S. side is perceiving the Six-Party situation right now?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: I think that everyone knows we are trying to get through phase two, which involves a declaration on the part of the DPRK. We don’t have that declaration yet. And so we are a little stuck on the need for a complete and correct declaration.

QUESTION: There seems to be a stalemate over a couple of [inaudible] regarding the declaration and taking North Korea off the terrorism list. How do you plan to resolve that?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: First of all, I don’t know if things are in stalemate, because stalemate implies they cannot change. I think the issue is, the DPRK needs to be prepared to make a complete and correct declaration. I’m not too concerned about the sequencing of their obligations and our obligations. I think there are ways to deal with the sequencing. I think the real problem is they have not yet been willing to provide a complete and correct declaration.

QUESTION: So are you willing to move simultaneously?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: Again, I don’t think sequencing is the problem. I think the problem is, as yet, they have not been prepared to provide a complete and correct declaration. So to talk about sequencing at this point is a little premature.

QUESTION: Do you plan to go to Pyongyang [inaudible] --

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: No –

QUESTION: -- with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: No, because I will be in Seoul for the inauguration of the new president. It happens to be on the same day.

QUESTION: What time [will you leave the hotel] tomorrow?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: I think I go to the Foreign Ministry for a ten o’clock meeting. So I’d probably be leaving here at nine thirty or something.

QUESTION: [Inaudible]

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: I’m sorry?

QUESTION: What time are you going to leave tomorrow?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: Go on to Seoul? I’m not sure. You better check with the Embassy on that.

QUESTION: [Inaudible]

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: I’m sorry?

QUESTION: Do you expect to meet someone from –

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: I can’t hear the question, but am I expecting to --

QUESTION: [Inaudible]

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: I don’t know. I’m here. I know I have a ten o’clock meeting. I know I’m going to see the American Ambassador here. And I don’t know whether there will be any other meetings scheduled.

QUESTION: Secretary Hill, did you discuss with your Chinese counterpart about the U.S. Government position to shoot down a U.S. satellite?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: We had a broad range of bilateral discussions across many different issues of current concern. I don’t want to get into specifically what subjects we covered, except that we discussed a broad range of issues of mutual interest.

Okay? I’ve got to go to bed.

QUESTION: About the U.S. Marine in Okinawa. A U.S. Marine was arrested this morning in [inaudible] for breaking into a private house.

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: This morning? I’m sorry. I have not heard about that story. I just got off the plane a few hours ago. That is news to me. I’m not informed on that.

Okay?

QUESTION: This is Marine [inaudible].

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: I’m sorry. This is the first I’ve heard of it, so I don’t want to respond to something I don’t know anything about.

Okay.