US Nuclear Envoy Says N. Korea Taking 'Positive' Steps to Address Uranium Concerns
希爾：北韓希望澄清各方關注問題

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.

華盛頓北韓核問題的首席談判人員希爾說，有關北韓核問題的六方會談并沒有陷于停頓。他說，盡管平壤沒有交出它所承諾的核項目清單，但是平壤希望澄清各方所關注的問題。希爾還說，北韓首席談判人員告訴他平壤沒有與其他國家分享核技術。

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.

美國助理國務卿希爾說，北韓仍然堅持說，北韓沒有從事濃縮鈾活動。希爾在北京會見北韓首席談判代表金桂冠的一天后，星期三在首爾對記者發表上述談話。

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.

專家說，在北韓是否從事金屬鈾濃縮的秘密項目問題上意見分歧，導致平壤至今尚未交出核項目的完整清單，北韓原來承諾在去年年底前交出這份清單。北韓從來沒有公開承認它有這個項目，但華盛頓表示，已經掌握充分證據證明北韓確實有濃縮鈾項目。

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

希爾認為，金桂冠為處理這個問題作出了“積極”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.

他說：“他們購買了一些設備，并且一直在努力向我們顯示這些設備并沒被用于濃縮鈾。他們這樣做的想法是，如果他們能顯示這些設備沒用來濃縮金屬鈾，那么我們對他們是否在濃縮鈾也不抱疑問了。”

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.

希爾說，金桂冠還向他保證北韓沒有從事核擴散。他說：“他希望非常明確地表示，北韓目前沒有和任何國家進行核協作，將來也不會這樣做。”

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.

北韓按照去年初達成的協議條款，采取有力步驟向中止并廢棄金屬鈽生產設施邁進。北韓應該在更為廣泛的第二階段中公布核清單，但是卻逾期未交。有關協議將終止北韓一切核武器項目，以換取北韓在外交和財務方面的好處。

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.

希爾星期三重申，美國仍然期待北韓交出完整的清單。他說，既然華盛頓已經知道北韓在進行核活動，那么華盛頓就不能視而不見。

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

他也對平壤保證說，美國及其該地區的夥伴最終將會對北韓提供的答案感到滿意。

"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."

希爾說：“按照北韓的看法，他們老是擔心當他們向我們披露一些情況后，他們所提供的信息將會引來更多的問題，而我希望他們能夠相信，我們的確會提出更多的問題，但是不會沒完沒了。”

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，韓國官員達成協議保留統一部這個韓國政府處理北韓問題的主要決策機構。定于星期一宣示就職的當選總統李明博曾宣布他將把統一部精簡成從屬于外交通商部的一個部門，他的想法招來了批評。