North Korea Talks Look At New Chinese Proposal
Delegates from six nations resumed talks Tuesday on North Korea's nuclear ambitions, looking at a Chinese proposal on how to verify the secretive regime's claims about its atomic programme. A dispute over verification has been the latest snag in the long-running negotiations intended to bring an end to North Korea's nuclear activities, which tested an atomic bomb in 2006. The regime appeared to accept the verification process in October as part of a broader agreement to disable its nuclear facilities, but has since said it will not let international inspectors take test samples out of the country. "We want to complete a verification protocol," said Christopher Hill, the top US envoy to the negotiations, which have offered the North energy aid and diplomatic concessions in exchanging for stopping its atomic programme. "We also want to complete a schedule for energy and a schedule for disablement," Hill said. "Our plan is to get all three done." Delegates said China had presented a proposal for the verification process at the start of the day's talks. The latest round of negotiations began in the Chinese capital on Monday. The talks, which were launched in 2003, bring together North and South Korea, China, Japan, Russia and the United States. (cont)
Source: AFP
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/395101/1/.html