These consultations were the first attempt to renew dialogue since the failure of the Hanoi summit in February. Both delegations plan to meet again.
The consultations seem to have ended. Pyongyang on Saturday (October 5th) accused Washington of failing consultations on its nuclear program launched Saturday in Stockholm after months of stalemate despite a further escalation of North Korea in its missile tests.
These consultations were the first attempt to renew dialogue between the two countries since the failed summit of Hanoi in February between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
In Stockholm, North Korean envoys Kim Myong-gil and American Stephen Biegun met under the mediation of Sweden's special envoy Kent Härstedt, the librarian this summer of an Australian student, Alek Sigley, briefly detained by Pyongyang.
At the end of the day, Kim Myong Gil noticed their failure. "The negotiations did not meet our expectations and ultimately failed (…). The failure of the negotiations, which have not led to any progress, is only due to the United States, which has not given up its usual attitude "he told reporters in front of the North Korean Embassy in Stockholm.
"The United States has built expectations by proposing flexible approaches, new methods and creative solutions. But they were enormously disappointed and showered our enthusiasm to discuss by bringing nothing to the negotiating table. ", he added. During a stage in Beijing before his departure for Sweden, Kim Myong Gil had said to found "Great expectations" on his discussions.
Overcoming 70 years of hostility
For its part, Washington claims to have had "Good discussions" with North Korea in Sweden: "The comments made earlier by the delegation of North Korea do not reflect the content or the spirit of today's discussion, which lasted eight and a half hours. The United States brought innovative ideas and had good discussions with their North Korean counterparts "US State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement.
The United States accepted the invitation made by the Swedes "To return to Stockholm to see us again in two weeks, to continue consultations on all topics"she added. Washington and Pyongyang "Will not overcome a legacy of 70 years of war and hostility on the Korean Peninsula on a Saturday. These are important issues and they require a strong commitment from both countries. The United States made this commitment ", she said, seeming to send the ball back to the North Korean camp.
