N Korea calls emergency meeting of envoys: Kyodo

Tokyo, Jul 20: North Korea had ordered its ambassadors abroad to return temporarily to Pyongyang for an emergency meeting that opened earlier this week, diplomatic sources in Beijing were quoted saying today.

Kyodo news agency quoted diplomatic sources involved in six-party talks on ending North Korea's nuclear ambitions as saying that the rare meeting, which began around July 18, was expected to last for about four days.

The meeting was believed to have been called to discuss ways to deal with international criticism of this month's barrage of missile tests, Kyodo said.

North Korea has drawn harsh international condemnation for test-launching seven missiles on July 5.

The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously on Saturday for a resolution demanding North Korea halt its ballistic missile programme and requiring nations to prevent Pyongyang from acquiring dangerous weapons.

Kyodo quoted the sources as saying that North Korea rejected an attempt by Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei last week to revive the multilateral process by holding ''informal'' six-party talks involving the two Koreas, the United States, China, Japan, and Russia.

Wu, China's chief delegate to the six-way talks, made the proposal during his visit to Pyongyang last week, but the North Koreans insisted the United States lift financial sanctions first.

The six-party talks stalled last November after Pyongyang objected to US financial sanctions based on accusations that it counterfeited US currency and trafficked drugs.

REUTERS

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