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| US ready for North Korea talks without preconditions, says Tillerson | US ready for North Korea talks without preconditions, says Tillerson |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The US is ready to open nuclear disarmament talks with North Korea, without preconditions, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Tuesday. | The US is ready to open nuclear disarmament talks with North Korea, without preconditions, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Tuesday. |
| "Let's just meet and let's talk about the weather if you want," he said at a policy forum in Washington DC. | "Let's just meet and let's talk about the weather if you want," he said at a policy forum in Washington DC. |
| His statement appeared to shift the US position away from previous demands that North Korea must first disarm. | His statement appeared to shift the US position away from previous demands that North Korea must first disarm. |
| North Korea's pursuit of nuclear weapons technology has led to heavy US-led sanctions against the regime. | North Korea's pursuit of nuclear weapons technology has led to heavy US-led sanctions against the regime. |
| Elsewhere in his remarks, Mr Tillerson insisted that the economic and diplomatic sanctions would continue until "the first bomb drops". | Elsewhere in his remarks, Mr Tillerson insisted that the economic and diplomatic sanctions would continue until "the first bomb drops". |
| Diplomatic relations between the two nations have been strained by recent North Korean missile tests, and by a war of words between US President Donald Trump and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un. | |
| Speaking at the Atlantic Council policy forum, Mr Tillerson said that the US "simply cannot accept a nuclear armed North Korea". | Speaking at the Atlantic Council policy forum, Mr Tillerson said that the US "simply cannot accept a nuclear armed North Korea". |
| But appearing to soften the US stance to talks, he said: "Let's just meet and let's talk about the weather if you want and talk about whether it's going to be a square table or a round table if that's what you're excited about. | But appearing to soften the US stance to talks, he said: "Let's just meet and let's talk about the weather if you want and talk about whether it's going to be a square table or a round table if that's what you're excited about. |
| "Then we can begin to lay out a map, a road map, of what we might be willing to work towards." | "Then we can begin to lay out a map, a road map, of what we might be willing to work towards." |
| Mr Tillerson also said that China had made contingency plans to accommodate North Korean refugees in the event of a conflict. | Mr Tillerson also said that China had made contingency plans to accommodate North Korean refugees in the event of a conflict. |