North Korea agrees to suspend nuclear activities, US says

State department says North Korea will allow IAEA inspectors to confirm disablement of its nuclear reactor at Yongbon

guardian.co.uk, Associated Press, Wednesday 29 February 2012

A 2009 nuclear missile test in North Korea. The US said: 'Today's
 announcement reflects important, if limited, progress.' Photograph:
Kcna/AFP/Getty Images

The US said on Wednesday North Korea has agreed to suspend nuclear activities and a moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile tests in a breakthrough in negotiations with the secretive communist nation.

The announcement comes little more than two months after the death of Kim Jong-il, and suggests North Korea has met the key US preconditions for restarting multi-nation disarmament-for-aid talks that North Korea withdrew from in 2009.

State department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said North Korea has agreed to allow International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors to verify and monitor the moratorium on uranium enrichment and confirm disablement of its nuclear reactor at Yongbyon.

Her statement says the US will finalise details with North Korea for a proposed package of 240,000 metric tonnes of food aid.

North Korea issued a similar, although differently worded, statement simultaneously in Pyongyang.

An unidentified spokesman from North Korea's foreign ministry said in the statement – which was carried by the state-run news agency – that North Korea agreed to the nuclear moratoriums and the allowance of UN inspectors "with a view to maintaining positive atmosphere" for US-North Korea talks.

The announcement follows talks in Beijing last week between US and North Korean negotiators, the first since negotiations were suspended after Kim's death in December from a heart attack.

Before his death, the US and North Korea were close to such an agreement, which appears to meets US preconditions for restarting the six-nation talks suspended three years ago.

"The United States still has profound concerns regarding North Korean behavior across a wide range of areas, but today's announcement reflects important, if limited, progress in addressing some of these," Nuland said.

She said the United States reaffirms that it does not have hostile intent toward North Korea and "is prepared to take steps to improve our bilateral relationship in the spirit of mutual respect for sovereignty and equality."

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"A Summary" – Apr 2, 2011 (Kryon channelled by Lee Caroll) (Subjects: Religion, Shift of Human Consciousness, 2012, Intelligent/Benevolent Design, EU, South America, 5 Currencies, Water Cycle (Heat up, Mini Ice Ace, Oceans, Fish, Earthquakes ..), Middle East, Internet, Israel, Dictators, Palestine, US, Japan (Quake/Tsunami Disasters , People, Society ...), Nuclear Power Revealed, Hydro Power, Geothermal Power, Moon, Financial Institutes (Recession, Realign integrity values ..) , China, North Korea, Global Unity,..... etc.) - (Text version)

“…..   Here is the prediction: China will turn North Korea loose soon. The alliance will dissolve, or become stale. There will be political upheaval in China. Not a coup and not a revolution. Within the inner circles of that which you call Chinese politics, there will be a re-evaluation of goals and monetary policy. Eventually, you will see a break with North Korea, allowing still another dictator to fall and unification to occur with the south. ….”