According to a transcript sent out by email from the U.S. Mission in Geneva, the U.S. found that its face-to-face talks with a North Korean delegation went well. Here are selected excerpts:
U.S. ASSISTANT SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER HILL —
I think we reached, I think, a substantial understanding between the two of us on what needs to be accomplished in the months ahead and what the overall parameters are for what we’re trying to achieve. This next phase — which has to do with disablement and declaration on the DPRK side and fuel oil and economic and energy assistance, as well as some bilateral considerations on our part — is of course a very critical phase. But I think we have an understanding of the way forward, and I think we will be able to go into the Six-Party plenary when we have it, depending on when the Chinese can schedule it. I believe it will be in the middle of September.
…
I do anticipate that at the next plenary session we will have a February style-agreement, which would be aimed at having a more detailed implementation plan for disablement and the other factors that I just mentioned …
All in all I think it was a very substantive discussion today, one of the most substantive we’ve had. We discussed all of the aspects, all the issues that we needed to discuss. But we have, I think, much more to discuss.
And we will get going again at dinner and then tomorrow morning at the DPRK mission…
Hill continued: “We had a fairly lengthy and in-depth discussion of all the issues. As you recall, the purpose of these bilateral working groups is to discuss the bilateral relationship, and I’d say we had a very full discussion on that. We also discussed all of the other issues pertaining to the Six Parties. I will look forward to briefing other members of the Six Parties on these discussions.
…
QUESTION from a journalist: Did you discuss about the condition to, how to remove them from the terrorism list?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: As I said, we discussed all issues. Of course they are very interested in being delisted from the terrorism list. So, yes, we did have a discussion about that.
QUESTION: Did you have a difference on that?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: We had a full discussion on it. I don’t want to characterize whether we had differences or a similarity of views on it, but we had a full discussion. So we understand each other’s views very well on that …
QUESTION: How was the discussion on the HEU issue?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: This was another issue that we had an in-depth discussion, and I think it’s an issue that we will continue to have an in-depth discussion. But we, I would say, got into a reading of some of the historical issues there or some of the past issues there. So I would say it was a good discussion.
…
QUESTION: Is there any progress in discussing about uranium enrichment?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: We had a — This issue was definitely discussed, and we’ll continue to discuss it. But I don’t want to characterize where the issue stands as of now.
…
QUESTION: Did you offer any food aid?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: Well, as you know, there was an announcement yesterday on food aid. So we did not discuss food aid, although the DPRK delegation did express appreciation for the U.S. assistance to their flood victims.
QUESTION: And the abductee issue?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: Yes, that issue was discussed, as was the overall issue of the DPRK-Japan relationship.
QUESTION: And their response?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: …Again, I don’t like to talk about their response. But I can tell you what I said, which was I attached great importance to the DPRK-Japan relationship and specifically to addressing issues such as the abduction issue — which we mentioned very specifically. And I reiterated a point I’ve made before — which is, as we move forward here we want to make sure that not only are we making progress on our relationship, not only are we making progress on the denuclearization, but that we’re also making progress on normalizing relations among states in the region, namely Japan and the DPRK.
…
QUESTION: Did they talk about the light water reactor?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: We did not discuss the light water reactor, but that does not mean that they’ve changed their view. But it also does not mean that I’ve changed my view, either. No, they didn’t raise it.
…
QUESTION: After today’s discussions are you still confident about finishing disablement by the end of this year?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: Yes, I continue to believe that that is quite achievable. Yes.
QUESTION: How was North Korea? Are the willing to…
ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: You have to ask them. I’m not their spokesman. [Laughter]. But I can tell you that I felt going into the meeting that it’s achievable; and I feel coming out of this first session that it’s achievable by the end of the year. Yes.