| ks, that also include China, Japan, Russia and South Korea.While there's little
expectation that the North Korean regime would agree to give up its
nuclear deterrent -- which it probably views as key to its very
survival -- the U.S. hopes that talks could help slow the weapons'
development and discourage future provocations.In the past five months, the diplomatic track
has yielded little in the way of concrete results, but it has,
at least, gathered some momentum.Washington has held two rounds of exploratory talks
and a third round appeared imminent. The U.S. also appears ready to
resume badly needed food aid that Pyongyang requested nearly a year ago.
U.S. officials discussed the monitoring of the possible assistance with North Korean
officials during two days of meetings in Beijing last week.While Washington would
deny any connection, food aid could serve as a sweetener for getting
the North to agree to terms for a resumption of the disarmament
talks, such a
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