US conditions six-party talks on North Korean uranium

NUSA DUA—North Korea must “address” its uranium enrichment program before stalled six-party denuclearisation talks can resume, the United States, South Korea and Japan said Saturday.

The allies issued a joint statement after talks on the Indonesian island of Bali saying the uranium issue was among the key obstacles to the resumption of the six-way dialogue, which has been in limbo for since December 2008.

“The ministers underscored the importance of sustained multilateral cooperation to prevent North Korean proliferation and to ensure full implementation of relevant international sanctions,” it said.

“They also agreed that North Korea’s uranium enrichment programme must also be addressed in order to allow for the resumption of the six-party talks.”