US Nuclear Envoy Says N. Korea Taking 'Positive' Steps to Address Uranium Concerns
希尔：北韩希望澄清各方关注问题

Washington's chief negotiator on the North Korean nuclear issue says the multinational talks are not at a stalemate. He says, despite its failure to produce a promised description of its nuclear activities, Pyongyang wants to clarify issues of concern. Hill also says North Korea's chief negotiator told him Pyongyang is not sharing nuclear technology with other countries.

华盛顿北韩核问题的首席谈判人员希尔说，有关北韩核问题的六方会谈并没有陷于停顿。他说，尽管平壤没有交出它所承诺的核项目清单，但是平壤希望澄清各方所关注的问题。希尔还说，北韩首席谈判人员告诉他平壤没有与其他国家分享核技术。

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill says Pyongyang continues to insist it has not engaged in uranium enrichment activities. Hill spoke Wednesday with reporters in Seoul, a day after his meeting in Beijing with North Korean counterpart Kim Kye Kwan.

美国助理国务卿希尔说，北韩仍然坚持说，北韩没有从事浓缩铀活动。希尔在北京会见北韩首席谈判代表金桂冠的一天后，星期三在首尔对记者发表上述谈话。

Experts say a disagreement over whether North Korea pursued a secret uranium enrichment program is the main reason Pyongyang has failed to produce a complete nuclear declaration it promised to deliver by the end of last year. North Korea has never publicly admitted the program, while Washington says it has abundant evidence to show it existed.

专家说，在北韩是否从事金属铀浓缩的秘密项目问题上意见分歧，导致平壤至今尚未交出核项目的完整清单，北韩原来承诺在去年年底前交出这份清单。北韩从来没有公开承认它有这个项目，但华盛顿表示，已经掌握充分证据证明北韩确实有浓缩铀项目。

Still, Hill described Kim Kye Kwan's attempts to address the issue as "positive."

希尔认为，金桂冠为处理这个问题作出了“积极”努力。

"They have purchased some equipment and have been trying to show to us that this equipment is not being used for uranium enrichment, on the theory that, if they can show that the equipment is not being used for uranium enrichment, therefore we do not have a uranium enrichment problem," explained Hill.

他说：“他们购买了一些设备，并且一直在努力向我们显示这些设备并没被用于浓缩铀。他们这样做的想法是，如果他们能显示这些设备没用来浓缩金属铀，那么我们对他们是否在浓缩铀也不抱疑问了。”

He said Kim also assured him North Korea is not involved in nuclear proliferation. "He wanted to make very clear that they are not at present having any nuclear cooperation with any other country, and they will not in the future," added Hill.

希尔说，金桂冠还向他保证北韩没有从事核扩散。他说：“他希望非常明确地表示，北韩目前没有和任何国家进行核协作，将来也不会这样做。”

North Korea has taken significant steps toward stopping and disabling its means of plutonium production under the terms of a deal reached early last year. The overdue declaration of its nuclear pursuits would wrap up the second phase of a broader arrangement. That deal would end the North's nuclear arsenal altogether in exchange for diplomatic and financial incentives.

北韩按照去年初达成的协议条款，采取有力步骤向中止并废弃金属钸生产设施迈进。北韩应该在更为广泛的第二阶段中公布核清单，但是却逾期未交。有关协议将终止北韩一切核武器项目，以换取北韩在外交和财务方面的好处。

Hill repeated Wednesday that the U.S. still expects a complete declaration to be submitted, saying Washington cannot "pretend" to ignore North Korean nuclear activities it knows took place.

希尔星期三重申，美国仍然期待北韩交出完整的清单。他说，既然华盛顿已经知道北韩在进行核活动，那么华盛顿就不能视而不见。

He also offered Pyongyang some reassurance that the U.S. and its regional partners will eventually be satisfied with the answers North Korea provides.
　

他也对平壤保证说，美国及其该地区的夥伴最终将会对北韩提供的答案感到满意。

"From the DPRK's point of view, they are always concerned, when they tell us something, that what they tell us will be followed by additional questions," said Hill, "and what I want to assure them is that, yes, there will be additional questions, but not an infinite number of questions."

希尔说：“按照北韩的看法，他们老是担心当他们向我们披露一些情况后，他们所提供的信息将会引来更多的问题，而我希望他们能够相信，我们的确会提出更多的问题，但是不会没完没了。”

Separately, South Korean officials have struck an agreement to preserve the Unification Ministry, Seoul's main policy body for dealing with the North. President-elect Lee Myung-bak, due to be sworn in Monday, initially drew criticism by announcing he would downsize the ministry into a department of the South Korean Foreign Ministry.

另外，韩国官员达成协议保留统一部这个韩国政府处理北韩问题的主要决策机构。定于星期一宣示就职的当选总统李明博曾宣布他将把统一部精简成从属于外交通商部的一个部门，他的想法招来了批评。