US envoy says NKorea nuke talks make no progress

The Associated Press ,  Beijing   |  Thu, 12/11/2008 9:45 AM  |  World

International talks resumed Thursday on ending North Korean's nuclear programs, a day after the North snubbed a Chinese proposal outlining how monitors could verify its past atomic activities.

North Korea was refusing to allow outside inspectors to take samples from its main nuclear complex at Yongbyon - a crucial method of checking whether the country was truthful in its accounting of its nuclear programs.

The top U.S. negotiator, Christopher Hill, said North Korea was refusing to put any commitments on inspection into writing, making it impossible to move forward on an agreement.

"We'd like to make see progress made on this verification agreement, and so far we haven't seen it," Hill told reporters at his hotel before leaving for new talks Thursday with chief envoys from North and South Korea, China, Japan and Russia.

"We've laid out our view on the verification protocol ... so it's not for us to be bargaining with ourselves, it's up to the North Koreans to do what they said they'll do," Hill said.

It was not immediately clear how long the talks that began Monday would last.

The six-party talks have taken place in fits and starts since 2003. In 2006, North Korea conducted an underground nuclear test. Pyongyang agreed to a disarmament-for-aid pact in 2007, but the disarmament process stalled in August amid the verification standoff.

The talks are also looking at setting a schedule for delivery of the remaining fuel oil aid to the impoverished country and determining a timetable for disabling its nuclear facilities.

North Korea submitted an inventory of its past activities in June. U.S. officials said North Korea agreed previously to allow experts to take samples and conduct forensic tests at all of its declared nuclear facilities and undeclared sites.

But Pyongyang says it agreed only to let nuclear inspectors visit its main atomic complex in Yongbyon, view related documents and interview scientists - not take samples.

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