Following is the text of a White House statement on the readiness of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to begin talks with the United States:

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
(San Jose, California)

April 30, 2002

STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY

The Permanent Mission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to the United Nations has informed the State Department that the DPRK is prepared to begin talks with the United States. The United States will work to determine the timing and other details in the coming days.

In June 2001, the President proposed talks without preconditions to address a broad range of U.S. concerns with regard to the North's missile program and exports, implementation of the Agreed Framework, and conventional military posture, and other areas.