U.S. ENVOY: NORTH KOREA TENTATIVELY AGREES TO DISARM ITS NUKES

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2007/02/12/D8N8CB980.html


Tentative Deal in N. Korea Nuclear Talks

Feb 12 2:52 PM US/Eastern

By JAE-SOON CHANG
Associated Press Writer



BEIJING (AP) -- Negotiators reached a tentative agreement on initial
steps for North Korea's nuclear disarmament, the U.S. envoy to the
talks said Tuesday.

Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill said the agreement
outlined specific commitments for North Korea and would set up working
groups to implement those goals to begin meeting in about a month. He
declined to give other details.

"I'm encouraged by this that we were able to take a step forward on
the denuclearization issue," Hill said.

The agreement could mark the first step toward disarmament in more
than three years of inconclusive negotiations and deadlock. The
process reached its lowest point in October when North Korea conducted
its first nuclear test explosion.

The draft agreement came after 16 hours of what Chinese Foreign
Ministry spokesman Qin Gang called "extraordinarily intensive
consultations" on the fifth day of talks.

"Some positive results have been achieved," Qin said, but added that
the negotiators would have to meet again later Tuesday in Beijing.

Japan's chief envoy said it was "too early to tell" if his government
was satisfied with the deal.

"I believe that countries have compromised somewhat toward an
agreement," Kenichiro Sasae said, declining to give any specifics.

The current round of six-nation talks began Thursday on a promising
note after the United States and North Korea signaled a willingness to
compromise. But negotiations quickly became mired on the issue of how
much energy aid the North would get in exchange for initial steps of
disarmament.

Other delegates at the talks _ which also include Russia and South
Korea _ had called North Korea's earlier demands for energy excessive.

South Korean and Japanese media reports gave varying accounts of how
much energy North Korea was demanding, including up to 2 million
kilowatts of electricity or 2 million tons of heavy fuel oil.

Under a 1994 U.S.-North Korea disarmament agreement, the North was to
receive 500,000 tons of fuel oil a year before construction was
completed of two nuclear reactors that would be able to generate 2
million kilowatts of electricity.

That deal fell apart in late 2002 when the U.S. accused the North of
conducting a secret uranium enrichment program, sparking the latest
nuclear crisis.

The apparent progress came after the U.S. envoy said the meetings that
began Monday would be the last day for this round of talks, saying the
possibility for a breakthrough was solely in North Korea's hands.