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US presses NKorea to start reactor shutdown by deadline
By Jun Kwanwoo
AFP
SEOUL
Petroleumworld.com 04 13 07
The United States pressed North Korea Thursday to start shutting down a nuclear reactor by an April 14 deadline to prove it is still committed to an international disarmament deal.
A dispute over 25 million dollars frozen in a Macau bank under US-inspired sanctions is over and the North Koreans have been told they can collect their money, said Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill.
"This is all about North Koreans now needing to show their willingness to follow up their part of the deal," Hill, the chief US nuclear negotiator, told reporters after extending his stay in South Korea by one day.
The North Koreans reportedly told visiting New Mexico governor Bill Richardson they would invite back UN nuclear inspectors within a day after receiving their funds, which had been frozen in a Macau bank since 2005 on suspicion they were the proceeds of international crime.
The Macanese authorities, with US approval, unfroze the funds this week. But there was no word on whether Pyongyang has so far tried to collect the cash.
South Korea's Chosun Ilbo newspaper said 20 North Korean officials had been sent to Macau from the neighbouring Chinese city of Zhuhai to withdraw the cash. There was no immediate confirmation.
"The ball's in their court," Hill told CNN earlier in the day. "If they don't fulfil their obligations we'll know very soon and we'll have to deal with that accordingly."
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said international moves to end North Korea's nuclear drive were making "clear progress," but warned that long-term efforts were needed, according to a Japanese official.
"The six-way talks are making clear progress," Wen said on a visit to Tokyo.
"Initial problems are almost being resolved, but further efforts are needed for the entire denuclearisation of the peninsula," Wen was quoted as saying.
China is the main ally of Pyongyang and the host of six-nation talks on disarming North Korea, which tested its first nuclear weapon last October.
Hill stressed the importance of quickly shutting down the North's plutonium-producing reactor and a reprocessing plant at Yongbyon.He told CNN best estimates were that Yongbyon has produced 50-60 kilograms (110-132 pounds) of plutonium, enough for six to 12 bombs.
The aim of the shutdown was "to prevent that 50-60 kilo problem from becoming a 100-kilo problem," he said.
Under a February 13 six-nation agreement the North should disable all nuclear programmes in exchange for one million tons of fuel oil or equivalent aid and diplomatic benefits.
As a first step, it was supposed to have completed the shutdown and sealing of Yongbyon and to have invited IAEA inspectors back into the country by April 14.
It expelled the International Atomic Energy Agency when the latest crisis over its nuclear ambitions began in 2002.
Hill acknowledged there can be no total shutdown by Saturday but said the North should make a start.
" I think it is possible to get going on the process in the next two days, so let's see if they get going on the process," he told reporters, saying he is willing to meet his North Korean counterpart Kim Kye-Gwan during his trip to Beijing starting Friday.
" I'm not trying to set up a meeting. He knows my schedule. If he is available, I would be happy to meet with him."
Hill said it would take "more than days" to shut down and seal Yongbyon but "certainly we are not talking a month."
The six-party talks which began in 2003 group the two Koreas, China, the US, Russia and Japan.
Seoul has also said that missing Saturday's deadline is not a major problem as long as Pyongyang takes the first steps before then.
" The desirable thing is (for the initial measures to be) implemented before April 14," Foreign Minister Song Min-Soon said Wednesday.
Meanwhile, China said Thursday it hoped North Korea would open up its economy following the Stalinist state's appointment of a new prime minister, which has raised the possibility of economic reforms.
" As a neighbour of the DPRK (North Korea), we hope that they can maintain domestic economic and social development," foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said.
" We also hope to see a greater opening up of the DPRK's economy and ... we hope we can play a positive role on boosting the economic development and the improvement of the people's livelihood there."
AFP 12 1533 GMT 04 07
Copyright© 2007 AFP. All Rights Reserved.
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