Koreas, US conclude 'constructive' talks in Finland

Finland's government has said that delegates from North Korea, South Korea and the United States concluded "constructive" unofficial diplomatic talks in the Nordic country that were widely believed to be laying the groundwork for an upcoming meeting between the Koreas and a planned US-North Korea summit.

The Finnish foreign ministry said in a brief statement yesterday that the tripartite talks were held in a positive atmosphere and were aimed at "building confidence and reducing tensions on the Korean Peninsula."
Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said Monday that his country, which has a long history of hosting international summits, received a request to host the meeting "through middlemen."