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Powell sees solution on N. Korea
DAVOS, Switzerland (CNN) -- U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell says he is optimistic about a diplomatic solution to the nuclear standoff with North Korea, and that he believed the U.S. would eventually hold talks with the North. Talking with reporters en route to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Powell said that recent diplomatic overtures to North Korea by Russia, South Korea and Japan were yielding "some progress." "A lot of conversations are taking place," he said. "There are a lot of things moving... but no breakthroughs." Russia, South Korea and Australia have all sent delegations to Pyongyang in recent weeks to convince the North to abandon its nuclear program. Powell said Russia's deputy foreign minister came back from his talks this week with a "plan," and noted the meeting this week in Seoul between North and South Korean officials. The two sides are expected to meet next week in Pyongyang. In a signal the Bush administration was not overly concerned about a further escalation of the crisis, Powell said, things have "settled down a bit." The Bush administration wants the International Atomic Energy Agency to refer the matter to the U.N. Security Council. "There is no question in my mind ... it will get to the IAEA for consideration," Powell said. "There is not quite the sense of urgency I would have like to seen, but it is not a major problem for us." When asked why the United States would not hold direct talks with the North Koreans, Powell said the Bush administration believed that problem that exists with North Korea is not just between the United States and North Korea, but rather involved the IAEA, South Korea, Russia, China and other nations. "They all have a role to play," he said, adding "there are many ways to conduct diplomatic activity when there are two strong sets of views about to be reconciled" Powell said the North Koreans had expressed a "strong desire to talk" to Washington, and that while U.S. allies were also urging dialogue, the Bush administration would choose "what the proper manner and form" will be. "The president indicted we will talk an appropriate time in an appropriate manner and that will happen, I believe, eventually," he said. Despite rumors he might meet with a North Korean official while in Davos, Powell said he didn't have any planned meetings and didn't even know whether North Korea was sending a representatives to the World Economic Forum. But while in Davos, Powell will meet with Chung Dong Young, a special envoy to South Korean President-elect Roh Moo-hoyn. "We are listening very carefully to what the North Koreans are saying -- publicly and privately -- and they are listening carefully to what we are saying," Powell said. Powell said the situation with North Korea remained "very serious" because Pyongyang withdrew from the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty and has reneged on its obligations to the 1994 Agreed Framework, in which it promised to freeze its nuclear program. "We are working it diplomatically and I still have some optimism for a diplomatic solution," he said.
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