Source:
https://scmp.com/news/asia/diplomacy/article/2114049/us-north-korea-balk-using-back-channels-discuss-halt-pyongyangsDiplomacy
US, North Korea balk at using back channels to discuss a halt to Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons programme
Unused channels include Pyongyang’s UN representative, US civilians and North Korean diplomats meeting in a third country and Sweden’s Pyongyang embassy
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson acknowledged that the US has its own direct channels of communication with North Korea during a visit to Beijing. Photo: AFP
The US and North Korea have three direct back-channels to talk about American prisoners and broad bilateral relations, but have not used them for formal negotiations on Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons programme, analysts say.
The channels include Pyongyang’s representative at the United Nations in New York, informal dialogue between US civilian experts and North Korean diplomats in a third country, and the Swedish embassy’s representing the US’s interests in Pyongyang.