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N Korea 'agrees nuclear deal'

Apr 09 2008

N Korea 'agrees nuclear deal'

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By Agencies

Hill talked down any suggestion of a major breakthrough during talks
North Korea has reached an agreement on compensation in exchange for providing full details of its nuclear programmes, Pyongyang's foreign ministry told state media.

The issue has been hindering progress in disarmament talks between North Korea and the US, China, Japan, South Korea and Russia.

"As a result of the talks, a consensus was reached on the US measure to make political compensation and the nuclear declaration essential for winding up the implementation of the agreement," an unidentified spokesman was quoted as saying by the Korean Central News Agency.

The deal includes North Korea's demand to be removed from a US terrorism blacklist, as well as energy aid and major diplomatic and security benefits.

Aid for weapons

In February 2007, North Korea had agreed to give up its nuclear weapons in return for aid.

Pyongyang last tested a nuclear weapon in 2006, but said it had submitted its declaration in November.

"We've definitely made progress but I don't want to suggest there has been any major breakthrough"

Christopher Hill,
US negotiator

The US countered that the declaration did not account for an alleged secret uranium enrichment programme or for alleged proliferation to Syria.

The US response to talks with Pyongyang on Tuesday was less enthusiastic.

"We've definitely made progress [on a declaration] but I don't want to suggest there has been any major breakthrough," Christopher Hill, the US negotiator, said.

Hill was speaking in Beijing after discussing the nuclear issue with Kim Kye Gwan, the senior North Korean negotiator, in Singapore.

The US negotiator had been briefing other parties to the six-nation disarmament deal on the outcome of the Singapore talks.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted Kim as saying after the Tuesday meeting that differences between the two countries "have narrowed a lot".

Autumn breakthrough?

Wu Dawei, China's senior negotiator in the disarmament talks, said on Wednesday that they were experiencing ups and downs and suggested that a breakthrough could be made "around autumn".

The main sticking points are believed to be the details North Korea will reveal about any nuclear know-how or materials provided to other nations, along with allegations it had a secret uranium enrichment programme in addition to its known plutonium programme.

China is North Korea's main diplomatic ally and source of food and energy assistance.