NORTH KOREA:Sentiment at six-way talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear arms ambitions has swung from dire pessimism to exuberant optimism during the session, but they enter a sixth day today still without reaching agreement on disarmament in exchange for energy aid.
Over the previous four days, the talks in Beijing have stalled over disagreements on energy assistance for the North in exchange for its abandonment of nuclear weapons.
The fact they are continuing today is a positive sign, as Washington's chief negotiator Christopher Hill had insisted that yesterday would be the final day of talks. He strongly urged the North to stop haggling over the amount of energy aid it would receive and agree to a deal.
"It is up to the North Koreans," Mr Hill said before going in to the session. "We have put everything on the table. We have offered a way forward on a number of issues. They just need to make a decision."
The Chinese government said there were no plans for a closing ceremony any time soon, while an anonymous South Korean official also said the talks would continue today "because discussions are ongoing in depth in an ever more serious mood.
"The talks are expected to continue tomorrow although China has not yet made any decision."
Delegates remained in negotiations yesterday at a Chinese state guesthouse into the late evening. The US and North Korea were reportedly staging one-on-one bilateral talks, raising hopes for a last-gasp breakthrough. There are envoys in Beijing from North and South Korea, the US, host China, Japan and Russia.
The talks have been going on intermittently for over three years and began in a spirit of pessimism, which turned to optimism after Washington and Pyongyang showed they were willing to compromise. But the talks then became bogged down on the energy issue.
According to diplomatic sources, North Korea is demanding two million tonnes of fuel oil annually plus two million kilowatts of electricity for taking the steps in the initial stage of denuclearisation.
Delegates hope the current round would mean the start of North Korea's nuclear disarmament. There is a growing sense that if the current round of talks fail, this could be the end of the road for this negotiation process.