1、N. Korea Agrees to Abandon Nuclear Weapon EffortsNorth Korea has agreed in principle to end its nuclear weapons project in return for security and economic commitments from the United States, in a major move towards peaceful settlement of a potential firestorm in East Asia. Chief envoys from the two
2、 countries, as well as China, South Korea, Japan and Russia, participating in negotiations in Beijing signed a draft accord on Monday, in which the North Korea agreed to abandon efforts to produce nuclear weapons and re-admit international inspectors to the suspected nuclear facilities. In return, m
3、ajor parties to the Six-Party Talks in Beijing said they would provide aid, diplomatic assurances and security guarantees and consider North Koreas request for a light-water nuclear reactor. Chinas deputy foreign minister, Wu Dawei, announced that the six participating nations will reconvene in earl
4、y November in Beijing, to flesh out details of a range of critical issues concerning timing of implementation, when the inspectors will be allowed in, and what the economic aid package include. Analysts in Beijing forecast that next round(s) of negotiations wont be easy and major disagreements could
5、 erupt. Even so, the new deal reached after one-week-long laborious talks, appears to rescue a diplomatic process that was on the verge of collapse after multiple rounds of negotiations failed to produce even a joint statement of principles Washington had threatened, once again, it was prepared to t
6、ake tougher measures, including freezing North Korean assets abroad and pushing for international sanctions, if the latest round of talks collapsed. Christopher Hill, the chief American negotiator, had said before the agreement was announced that he was determined to end the discussions and return t
7、o Washington. The breakthrough came at the last minute, after American officials had prepared to wrap up the negotiations without an accord. More generally, it would appear to boost support for people inside the Bush administration who favored pursuing laborious negotiations with the North Koreans.
8、Hardliners in the administration and in Congress had raised questions about the usefulness of negotiations with the North. The United States and North Korea also pledged to respect each others sovereignty and right to peaceful coexistence and to work toward normalization of relations. The two countr
9、ies have no full diplomatic relations and did not sign a peace treaty after the Korean War. North Korean officials had also demanded the country be given a light-water nuclear reactor at the latest talks, but Washington had said it and other countries at the talks wouldnt meet that request. Putting
10、aside the question for now, the joint statement said: The other parties expressed their respect and agreed to discuss at an appropriate time the subject of the provision of light-water reactor to North Korea. Pyongyang has also refused to totally disarm without getting concessions along the way, whi
11、le Washington has said it wants to see the weapons programs totally dismantled before granting rewards. The statement, however, says the sides agree to take steps to implement the agreement in a phased manner in line with the principle of commitment for commitment, action for action. The other countries at the talks said they were willing give energy assistance to the North, including a South Korean plan to deliver electricity across the heavily armed border dividing the peninsula.
