20 October 2000

Witt: Albright Visit to N. Korean Considered Breakthrough
by
Kerri DiZoglio
Washington File Staff Writer

Washington -- Secretary of State Madeleine Albright's upcoming visit to North Korea is not expected to result in specific resolutions on major security issues, but "will establish a foundation to address the more complicated security concerns in the future," according Joel Wit, former U.S. State Department Coordinator of the U.S.-North Korean Agreed Framework.

Wit made his comments during an Arms Control Association press conference October 20. The conference was held to discuss the significance of the upcoming meeting between Albright and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il on October 23-24 in Pyongyang.

Members of the group consider Albright's North Korea visit groundbreaking because it marks the highest-level visit ever by a U.S. official and a possible end to years of tense relations between the two countries.

In a statement released at the press conference, the Arms Control Association said the visit could potentially have far-reaching implications for such security issues as stability in Northeast Asia, efforts to control nuclear and missile proliferation, and U.S. national defense plans.

Conference panelist David Albright, president of the Institute for Science and International Security, cautioned, however, that "North Korea must first put an end to undeclared nuclear activities and demonstrate a commitment to transparency by cooperating with the International Atomic Energy Agency in order to bring about peace in the region."

A nuclear-free North Korea would not only increase security in the region but also around the globe, according to Joseph Cirincione, Director of the Non-Proliferation Project at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. The elimination of the North Korean missile program would put an end to the exportation of missiles by North Korea to "major states of concern." Without North Korean support, Iran's and Pakistan's medium- to long-range missile programs, which are of greatest threat to the U.S. and their troops abroad, would be severely weakened if not incapacitated, Cirincione said.

Then, he said, assuming Russia and China could also be persuaded to discontinue missile support to Iran, the justification for developing a major U.S. national missile defense system would be abolished. This would serve to enhance U.S. global relations, Cirincione said, because the proposed missile defense system has been a source of disagreement with Russia, China and U.S. allies.

The Secretary's trip to North Korea was announced in a joint statement issued by the Department of State and North Korea following a visit to the United States by Vice Marshal Jo Myong Rok, Kim Jong-Il's second-in-command, in early October. The statement also indicated the possibility of a visit by President Clinton to North Korea, but such a visit will be largely dependent upon the outcome of the talks between Secretary Albright and Kim Jong-Il.

According to Alan Romberg, senior associate at the Henry L. Stimson Center and former principal deputy director of the policy planning staff at the U.S. Department of State, achieving "an open, democratic society in North Korea is not yet practical, but influencing their external behavior to reduce the threat to peace and security is a primary goal."

(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)