"Norway not only has a good reputation as a peace mediator, but also very good experience in settling international conflicts," North Korea's ambassador to Northern Europe, Jon In Chan, told Norwegian daily Verdens Gang. "We want Norway to contribute to settling the ongoing standoff between North Korea and the United States."
The six-party negotiations involving Russia, North and South Korea, the United States, China, and Japan began in August 2003 in a bid to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear program.
The fourth round started in Beijing in July 2005 after about a year's hiatus. The delegations agreed on the greater part of the final agreement but failed to reach a consensus on some matters of principle, and the talks were put on hold August 7 to give the delegates time to look for acceptable solutions.
At the latest round of talks in September, North Korea agreed to abandon its nuclear program in exchange for aid and security guarantees, but later refused to return to the negotiating table until Washington lifted financial sanctions imposed on Pyongyang for its alleged involvement in counterfeiting and other illegal activities.
The U.S. has been pressing China to use its leverage as North Korea's main supplier of aid and ally to secure the resumption of the talks.
