US meets with North Korea for nuclear disarmament talks
Tuesday, 08 Apr 2008 13:25
US and North Korea held talks in Singapore over nuclear disarmament
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The US and
North Korea have held talks in Singapore over the nuclear disarmament of the communist state.
US envoy Christopher Hill and North Korea's Kim Kye-Gwan met at the US embassy today in a hope of reviving the stalled negotiations.
Mr Hill told reporters ahead of the crucial talks: "I will be discussing the fact that we are kind of running out of time.
"We're not looking for an agreement. I think we're looking to have a consultation on some of the issues that have kept us apart for several months and certainly I will be discussing them," he said.
"We can't afford any further delays here. We do need to make some progress very soon."
The US has been calling on North Korea to declare the full extent of its nuclear programme as a key step in a six-nation denuclearisation deal brokered in 2007 that also involves China, Japan, Russia and South Korea.
The current phase of the disarmament deal requires North Korea to disable its main plutonium-producing plants and declare all its nuclear activities.
North Korea claims that it submitted the declaration in November last year, however the US alleged that there exists a uranium enrichment programme that had not been accounted for.