North Korea agrees to disable key nuclear plants (Roundup)

Oct 3, 2007, 12:32 GMT

A Night View of Grand People\'s Study Hallm which was visited on 02 October 2007 by South Korea\'s First Lady Kwon Yang-suk, Pyongyang. North Korea has agreed to disable key nuclear facilities by the end of this year, according to a joint statement issued by China on Wednesday on behalf of six nations. EPA/POOL

Beijing - North Korea has agreed to disable key nuclear facilities by the end of this year, according to a joint statement issued by China on Wednesday on behalf of six nations.

North Korea promised the complete disablement of its 5-megawatt experimental reactor, reprocessing plant, and nuclear fuel rod plant at its main Yongbyon complex by December 31, said a copy of the statement posted on the website of the Chinese foreign ministry.

The United States would lead and fund activities designed to assist in and verify the disablement, starting with another visit to North Korea by nuclear experts within two weeks, said the statement issued on behalf of North Korea, the United States, China, South Korea, Russia and Japan.

North Korea also agreed to give a 'complete and correct declaration' of all nuclear programmes by the end of this year, and reaffirmed its commitment not to transfer nuclear materials or technology.

The United States and North Korea agreed to increase bilateral exchanges and 'enhance mutual trust,' the statement said.

The United States would begin the process of removing North Korea from a list of state sponsors of terrorism 'in parallel with the DPRK's (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) actions', it said.

North Korea and the United States vowed to make 'sincere efforts' to normalize bilateral relations through 'intensive consultations'.

The statement reaffirmed a commitment by the other five parties to provide North Korea with the equivalent of 1 million tons of heavy fuel oil in return for the disablement and eventual dismantlement of its nuclear facilities.

The provision of fuel oil includes 100,000 tons already delivered to North Korea by China and South Korea.

The six nations agreed to hold a ministerial meeting in Beijing 'at an appropriate time', preceded by a meeting of chief negotiators to set the agenda for the ministers, it said.

The statement followed four days of talks between negotiators from the six nations in Beijing last week.

After more than three years of six-party negotiations on ending North Korea's nuclear programme, North Korea agreed in February to abandon its nuclear programme in return for energy aid and the eventual normalization of US-North Korean ties that have been on ice since the 1950-53 Korean War.

The US State Department said on Tuesday that it had informed China of its approval of the new joint statement.

The delay in announcing it was thought to be linked to North Korea hosting a landmark summit on Tuesday and Wednesday between North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun.

The two Koreas were expected to issue a joint statement on Thursday, South Korean officials said.

North Korea admitted in 2002 that it had resumed its nuclear programme in violation of a 1994 agreement with Washington and detonated a nuclear bomb in October 2006, prompting swift but limited UN Security Council sanctions.

The six-nation talks resumed at the end of 2006 and an outline agreement was reached in February.