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N. Korea could shut nuclear reactor soon
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published June 24, 2007
TOKYO - North Korea could shut down its nuclear reactor within three weeks and return to disarmament talks, a U.S. envoy said Saturday. Russia, meanwhile, said disputed funds have reached a North Korean account at a Russian bank, clearing a key hurdle in negotiations. The Yongbyon plutonium-producing reactor will be shut after the United Nations' nuclear watchdog and North Korea agree on how to monitor the process, Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill said after returning from a rare trip to the reclusive country. "We do expect this to be soon, probably within three weeks ... though I don't want to be pinned down on precisely the date, " Hill told reporters after his two-day surprise trip to Pyongyang. The next round of nuclear negotiations could begin in early July, though the exact timing depended on scheduling by the host nation, China, he added. Last week, five years after expelling them, North Korea invited inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency to discuss procedures for shutting down its reactor. The U.N. inspectors are due to arrive in the North Korean capital Tuesday.
[Last modified June 24, 2007, 01:23:41]
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