Tillerson’s comments, made yesterday, were interpreted by some experts as a softening of the US position.
The US State Department said today its policy on North Korea « has not changed, » following remarks by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson that Washington is ready to talk without prior conditions.
Tillerson’s comments, made yesterday, were interpreted by some experts as a softening of the US position.
The Secretary of State stated the need for a « period of calm » in Pyongyang’s nuclear and ballistic tests before negotiations could begin.
However, he also said talks could begin « without preconditions, » including without confirmation that Kim Jong- Un’s regime will abandon its nuclear program.
Tillerson had said in August that « a condition of those talks is there is no future where North Korea holds nuclear weapons. »
« The secretary was not creating a new policy, our policy remains exactly the same as it was, » State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said today.
« We remain open to dialogue when North Korea is willing to conduct a credible dialogue on the peaceful denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, » she said, adding « clearly the time is not right now » and that the State Department is « on the same page » as the White House on the issue.
