DPRK agrees to declare, disable nuclear programs by end of year

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has agreed to declare and disable all its nuclear programs by the end of this year, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill said here on Sunday.

    "One thing that we agreed on is that the DPRK will provide a full declaration of all of their nuclear programs and will disable their nuclear programs by the end of this year, 2007," Hill told a press conference following two days of talks between the United States and the DPRK.

  U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill addresses a media briefing outside the U.S. Mission after bilateral talks with North Korea in Geneva September 2, 2007.

Hill said his talks with DPRK Vice Foreign Minister Kim Gye Gwan had been "very good and very substantive," which provided a better chance of success for the next round of six-party negotiations aimed at denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

    Besides the United States and the DPRK, the six-party negotiations also involve China, the Republic of Korea, Japan and Russia.

    The next full session of the six-party negotiations is expected to start in mid-September in Beijing. Hill expected the session would produce a "more detailed implementation plan" for the disablement of the DPRK's nuclear facilities.

    Asked by reporters whether the United States would remove the DPRK from a list of states accused of sponsoring terrorism in reward for the DPRK's nuclear declaration and disablement, Hill said he did not want to go "more specific."

    He said he had "very good discussions" on this issue with his counterpart Kim Gye Gwan, but he would consult his government on the next steps.

North Korea's lead nuclear negotiator Kim Kye-gwan leaves a hotel in Geneva, September 2, 2007.