US, N Korea talks end with little progress

A US diplomat yesterday said some progress had been made in the first talks between the United States and North Korea since the death of Kim Jong-Il, but there were no breakthroughs.
Glyn Davies, coordinator for US policy on North Korea, said he had a "better understanding" of North Korea's position on the country's controversial nuclear programme, but they had not achieved any "dramatic results" during the talks.
"The talks were serious and substantive ... I think we made a little bit of progress," Davies told reporters at the end of the two-day meeting in Beijing. "We have been able to illuminate the issues a bit better, gain a better understanding of their point of view, their rationale and their position."
The talks were seen as a chance for Washington to clarify what policies North Korea's untested new leader Kim Jong-Un plans, and to try to work with Pyongyang to resume six-nation talks on ending its nuclear weapons programme.