Rice pushes for fresh nuclear talks with North Korea
{{North Korea nuclear program}}
{{date|March 19, 2005}}

[[Condoleezza Rice]], in {{w|Japan}} as part of her first trip to [[Asia]] as [[United States]] {{w|Secretary of State}}, gave a speech in which she urged [[North Korea]] to return to currently stalled six-party talks. She also pressed Asian partners in the talks, {{w|China}}, Japan, and {{w|South Korea}}, to make greater efforts to bring {{w|Pyongyang}} back into the fold.

North Korea insists that Rice's labelling of Pyongyang as "an outpost of tyranny" is evidence that it is regarded as an enemy rather than an equal partner in the negotiations by the United States. The North Korean government has stated that it will not return to talks until Rice retracts this statement.

Pyongyang claims that it desires {{w|nuclear weapons}} as a defense against American aggression, although many members of the Bush administration have previously insisted that the United States has no intention of invading North Korea.

Rice will also travel to South Korea and China before ending her Asian tour.

{{haveyoursay}}
== Sources ==
{{wikipedia|U.S.-North Korea relations|U.S.-North Korea relations}}
*{{source|url=http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=7949526
 |title=U.S., S.Korea to push for fresh North nuclear talks
 |author=
 |pub=Reuters
 |date=March 19, 2005}}
*{{source|url=http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=7949526
 |title=Rice Challenges N.Korea to Return to Nuke Talks
 |author=
 |pub=Reuters
 |date=March 18, 2005}}

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[[Category:United States]]
[[Category:Politics and conflicts]]
[[Category:Condoleezza Rice]]
[[Category:Asia]]
[[Category:North Korea]]
[[Category:Nuclear proliferation]]
[[Category:Korean Peninsula]]
[[Category:North America]]
[[Category:Nuclear weapons]]
Condoleezza Rice, in Secretary of State, gave a speech in which she urged North Korea to return to currently stalled six-party talks. She also pressed Asian partners in the talks, South Korea, to make greater efforts to bring  back into the fold.

North Korea insists that Rice's labelling of Pyongyang as "an outpost of tyranny" is evidence that it is regarded as an enemy rather than an equal partner in the negotiations by the United States. The North Korean government has stated that it will not return to talks until Rice retracts this statement.

Pyongyang claims that it desires  as a defense against American aggression, although many members of the Bush administration have previously insisted that the United States has no intention of invading North Korea.

Rice will also travel to South Korea and China before ending her Asian tour.
United States Politics and conflicts Condoleezza Rice Asia North Korea Nuclear proliferation Korean Peninsula North America Nuclear weapons