Finnish FM: Koreas, US talks won't include denuclearization

HELSINKI – Denuclearization is not on the agenda as North Korean envoys meet with their South Korean colleagues and former US diplomats in Finland, the Nordic country's foreign minister said Tuesday.

Foreign Minister Timo Soini said in an interview with Finnish broadcaster MTV3 that nuclear weapons are not expected to be discussed at the tripartite talks.

Senior North Korean diplomat Choe Kang Il, who handles North American affairs in Pyongyang, arrived in Helsinki on Sunday for talks with South Korean security experts. He is also reportedly meeting with former US diplomats, including the former US Ambassador to South Korea, Kathleen Stephens.

Finnish broadcaster YLE said the meeting kicked off with a dinner Monday in a Helsinki restaurant where the delegations were seen arriving. Actual talks began Tuesday morning at the 19th-century Konigstedt state manor house just outside Helsinki, and are set to last until Wednesday.