NORTH KOREA:North Korea has pledged to shut down its main nuclear reactor promptly and carry out its obligations under the February 13th deal, according to the US chief negotiator.
After a visit to Pyongyang yesterday, Christopher Hill said he was optimistic that the six-party process aimed at convincing North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons programme was moving again. But Mr Hill, who is also assistant secretary of state, said he realised how difficult the process would be.
"I came away from these two days of meetings buoyed by the sense we are going to be able to meet our objectives. But I am burdened by the realisation that we are going to have to spend a great deal of time and effort in achieving them," he said.
"They indicated that they are prepared to promptly shut down the Yongbyon facility as called for under the February 13th agreement," Mr Hill added, but they had to "work out details".
Mr Hill is the highest-level official to visit North Korea since 2002, when the current crisis began. The visit was an attempt to kick-start a process that had been bogged down over the return of $25 million in North Korean funds from Macao to Pyongyang, via Russia. - (Financial Times)