North Korea on Thursday called for high-ranking talks with South Korea later this month, a day after Washington offered a dialogue with the state regarding its nuclear weapons program.
The North's offer of four-day talks from January 21 in Seoul came in response to South Korea's earlier proposal that the cabinet-level meeting ought to be held from January 14, officials in Seoul said.
"North Korea today sent a counter-proposal to hold inter-Korean talks January 21 to 24," a South Korean unification ministry official told AFP. "No decision has been made yet on our side over whether to accept the North's proposal," he added.
The inter-Korean discussions are aimed at discussing rapprochement projects, however South Korean officials have said the agenda would also deal with a crisis sparked by the North's decision to reactivate a nuclear project.
If the South accepts the North's offer, it would mark the ninth round of talks since a 2000 summit, held between the two Koreas. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
