Multiple U.S. government departments have reiterated the position on North Korea stated by Secretary of State John Kerry during his recent visit to Asia, saying that Pyongyang has to make good on its obligations, but that if it does so then Washington will be ready for dialogue.
In making the comments, White House spokesman Jay Carney noted that it is something “John Kerry made very clear.” He added that while the United States is pleased that there has been no provocative behavior over the last few weeks, “We are watching the situation closely.”
Meanwhile, U.S. State Department spokesperson Patrick Ventrell mirrored both Kerry and the White House view on North Korea, telling an April 15th departmental briefing, “[North Korea] has committed on numerous occasions, including in the September 2005 joint statement of the Six-Party Talks, to abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs. And we want them to come into compliance with all of their international obligations.”
“You heard that the Secretary reiterated our longstanding position that we remain open to authentic and credible negotiations to implement the joint statement and to bring North Korea into compliance with Security Council resolutions through irreversible steps,” he went on, dismissing events on the anniversary of the birth of Kim Il Sung, “So that’s our policy, but I don’t really have a specific message for their April 15th holiday one way or another.”
