美国务卿本周将与朝鲜重启核谈判

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says he is resuming denuclearization talks with North Korea this week in New York, meeting with Pyongyang's second in command, Kim Yong Chol.

Progress on ending Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programs has slowed in the months since the Singapore summit in June between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, when the two leaders signed a general statement calling for the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

But Pompeo called the coming talks "a good opportunity" to move toward specifics of when and how North Korea might end its nuclear weapons program. The United States is seeking to finalize a deal by the end of Trump's first term in office in January 2021.

Pyongyang said Friday it would "seriously" consider resuming its nuclear testing if U.S. economic sanctions against North Korea are not lifted, but Pompeo, in an interview on Fox News Sunday, dismissed the threat.

"I'm not worried about that," the top U.S. diplomat said Sunday. "We are very focused. We know with whom we are negotiating, we know what their positions (are) and President Trump has made his position very clear"

Pompeo said there would be "no economic relief until we have achieved our ultimate objective," the end of North Korea's nuclear program.

The United States has said it would maintain the sanctions against North Korea until it has reached "final, fully verified denuclearization," although Pyongyang has described the demands as "gangster-like."

The North Korean foreign ministry, in its latest statement, said, "The improvement of relations and sanctions are incompatible."

Despite the slow pace of the talks, Pompeo cited favorable signs in the U.S.-North Korean relationship.

"We haven't had any missile tests," he said. "There've been no nuclear tests, We've had the returns of American remains (from the Korean War of the early 1950s). These are all good steps."

美国国务卿蓬佩奥说，他本周将在纽约与朝鲜领导层二号人物金正哲会晤，恢复朝鲜的无核化谈判。

自美国总统特朗普与朝鲜领导人金正恩今年6月在新加坡举行首次峰会签署一项呼吁朝鲜半岛无核化的一般性声明后，几个月来朝鲜终止其核武计划的进展有所放缓。

但蓬佩奥表示即将开始的会谈“是一个很好的机会”，可以争取讨论出朝鲜结束其核武计划的具体时间和方式。美国目标是是在特朗普总统2021年1月第一个任期期满之前敲定一项协议。

平壤周五表示，如果美国不解除对朝鲜的经济制裁，它将“认真”考虑恢复其核试验，但是蓬佩奥周日接受福克斯资讯采访时，对这一威胁不以为然。

这位美国最高外交官周日表示，“我对此并不担忧，”他说，“我们的重点十分明确。我们清楚我们的谈判对手，清楚我们的谈判立场。特朗普总统十分清晰地阐述了他的立场”。

蓬佩奥说，在我们实现最终目标，也就是终止朝鲜核计划之前，“不会减轻任何经济制裁。”

美国已经表示在实现“最终的、可以充分核实的无核化”之前，将维持对朝鲜的经济制裁。平壤称这些要求为“强盗一般”。

朝鲜外交部在最新声明中表示，“改善关系和实施制裁是不相容的。”

蓬佩奥说，尽管谈判进展缓慢，美朝关系中仍有可喜迹象。

他说：“我们没有再看到导弹试验”，他说，“我们还得到了交还的（韩战）美军遗骸。这些都是良好的进展。”