Inspectors confirm N Korea reactor shutdown
Talks with North Korea will resume on Wednesday in Beijing
Also In The News
|
Leicestershire seamer Stuart Broad has earned a call-up to the England Test squad as cover for Steve Harmison who is nursing a hernia injury. |  |
Monday, 16, Jul 2007 08:24
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director Mohamed El-Baradei has announced that a ten-man team of inspectors had verified the closing of North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear reactor.
The shutdown of the reactor is one of the conditions of a deal reached with North Korea under which the reclusive state will receive fuel aid.
The closing of the reactor comes after the arrival of the first shipment of fuel aid.
Mr Baradei welcomed the move as an "important step" but warned that there was still "a long way to go".
Speaking in Bangkok, he said: "Our inspectors are there. They verified the shutting down of the reactor yesterday.
"It's a good step in the right direction," he added.
Under a deal reached in February, North Korea agreed to shut down the Yongbyon nuclear reactor in exchange for an initial shipment of 50,000 tonnes of fuel aid.
Another shipment of 950,000 tonnes of energy aid will be delivered after North Korea terminates all its nuclear activities.
Commenting on the move US envoy Christopher Hill said: "With complete denuclearisation, everything is going to be possible."
Six-party talks with North Korea will resume on Wednesday in Beijing.
The focus of the talks between China, Japan, Russia, the US, South Korea and North Korea will be the termination of the communist state's nuclear programme.