Breakthrough. and Beyond

Four rounds of the Six-Party talks to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue have taken place so far. In the first three rounds no substantial progress was achieved, and only in the fourth round was a ‘breakthrough’ claimed when North Korea declared its intention to abandon its nuclear programme. North Korea, at the same time, emphasised its right to peaceful use of nuclear energy and the Light Water Reactors that had been promised in the Nuclear Accord of 1994 between North Korea and the US. The process of negotiations has so far been predicated on mutual mistrust and lack of understanding of the threat perception of each other. A close scrutiny of the ‘breakthrough’ of the fourth round of talks reveals that there still is not any consensus on the main contentious issues. To move ahead, it must be recognised that the process of negotiations has been following a wave-like movement in which the fourth round constitutes a crest. Rather than resorting to coercive measures, more confidence building measures should be undertaken between North Korea and the other parties involved, especially the US.The growing consensus among the regional powers to engage North Korea might be effective in facilitating such measures. In particular, it is necessary for Washington to review its aggressive policy vis-É-vis North Korea. Any imposition of a ‘solution’ by the US on North Korea, devoid of mutual trust between the two countries, might again lead to breach of commitment by one side or the other, as happened with the Nuclear Accord of 1994.