March 28, 2024
Opinion

Track II negotiations and North Korea’s nuclear program: Are they effective?

Supporters see privately arranged dialogue as keeping discussions alive; critics see a waste of time - or worse

Even during long periods in which North Korean and U.S. have had little contact, it would be inaccurate to say that North Koreans and Americans are not talking about the North’s nuclear program.

So-called Track II diplomacy – defined as unofficial dialogue involving non-state actors, frequently influential ones under fewer restrictions than high-ranking government officials – has been under way for decades, seeking to help the process of official talks over North Korean nukes, among other subjects.

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