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N Korea 'to give nuclear account' US confirms N Korea 'target date'
(about 18 hours later)
North Korea will hand over a long-delayed declaration of its nuclear activities on Thursday, Japanese news agency Kyodo reports. US officials have confirmed that Thursday is the target date for North Korea to hand over a long-awaited declaration of its nuclear activities.
The US is to take the first steps towards removing North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, the unconfirmed report says. A White House spokeswoman said the date came from the North Koreans - but emphasised that the information in the draft would need to be verified.
The North may blow up the cooling tower at its Yongbyon nuclear plant in front of some of the world's media on Friday. If the handover happens, the US will take steps to remove North Korea from a list of state sponsors of terrorism.
Long-stalled six-party talks began to make progress again last week. There have been lengthy negotiations over the declaration.
Pyongyang agreed in 2007 to abandon its nuclear ambitions in return for aid. North Korea agreed in February 2007 to end its nuclear activities in return for aid and political incentives.
It has since closed its Yongbyon nuclear reactor, but a dispute arose as to whether the North had by the end of 2007 provided a full account of its nuclear activities as the agreement had dictated. It has closed its Yongbyon nuclear reactor but the second stage of the three-part deal - providing a complete accounting of its nuclear activities - is almost six months overdue.
Pyongyang has since handed in tens of thousands of pages of documents to the US. "We know the North Koreans have been themselves saying that this Thursday would be the date that they submit their declaration," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said.
A full declaration is now due on Thursday, said Kyodo - chiming with reports in South Korea which also suggest the breakthrough will come later in the week. "We will see if that actually happens - and if it does, it must be correct and verifiable."
Reports also suggest the North may blow up the cooling tower at Yongbyon in front of a broadcaster from each nation represented in the six-party talks - but it is said to be demanding payment for the demolition. Cooling tower
The US negotiator with North Korea, Christopher Hill, said that the document would not include nuclear weapons.
"The declaration at this point, the purpose of it, is to list all of their nuclear materials and all of their nuclear facilities and programmes," he said.
"With regard to weapons, that has always been the vision for a subsequent phase."
When the declaration is handed over, Washington is then expected to set in motion the process of removing North Korea from its terrorism list.
And on Friday, in a symbolic gesture, North Korea may blow up a cooling tower at its Yongbyon nuclear plant.
Representatives of various media organisations have been invited to watch, Korean and Japanese media reports say.
North Korea tested a nuclear weapon in October 2006.