The good news about North Korea is that it is now willing to talk in an expanded forum including Japan, South Korea and Russia. Whether this will lead to substantial progress in the nuclear standoff has yet to be seen, but at least the way is open for six-nation talks attended also by the United States, North Korea and China -- the three nations that kicked off an exploratory meeting in Beijing in April.
Keeping the Korean Peninsula free of nuclear weapons is a security imperative not only for the region but for the entire world. Therefore, the coming six-party meeting is welcome, its opaque prospects notwithstanding. No doubt it is the result of the policy of "dialogue and pressure," which is designed to stop North Korea from developing weapons of mass destruction.
As yet there is no clear sign that Pyongyang has abandoned its nuclear brinkmanship. Nor is it likely that the U.S. administration of President George W. Bush will reverse its containment policy anytime soon. With more players in the game, negotiations could become even more complicated. All parties will need to do their utmost to keep the talks moving forward.