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| Key N Korea nuclear talks begin | Key N Korea nuclear talks begin |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Senior diplomats are meeting in Beijing to thrash out the next move in the long-running mission to end North Korea's nuclear ambitions. | Senior diplomats are meeting in Beijing to thrash out the next move in the long-running mission to end North Korea's nuclear ambitions. |
| US envoy Christopher Hill said talks would seek to agree practical steps to verify North Korea's account of its nuclear programme, provided last month. | US envoy Christopher Hill said talks would seek to agree practical steps to verify North Korea's account of its nuclear programme, provided last month. |
| The talks between delegates from both Koreas, Russia, the US, China and Japan are resuming after a nine-month delay. | The talks between delegates from both Koreas, Russia, the US, China and Japan are resuming after a nine-month delay. |
| Our correspondent in Seoul, John Sudworth, says they are at a key stage. | Our correspondent in Seoul, John Sudworth, says they are at a key stage. |
| There are still some major potential stumbling blocks in the way of the long-term goal of completely dismantling all of North Korea's nuclear programmes, he says. | There are still some major potential stumbling blocks in the way of the long-term goal of completely dismantling all of North Korea's nuclear programmes, he says. |
| The talks stalled after the North missed a December 2007 deadline to provide the nuclear declaration - which it finally submitted last month. | The talks stalled after the North missed a December 2007 deadline to provide the nuclear declaration - which it finally submitted last month. |
| 'Weeks or months' | 'Weeks or months' |
| The meeting in Beijing will focus on ways to verify the contents of the declaration, by seeking agreement for international inspectors to visit nuclear sites, inspect equipment and interview officials. | The meeting in Beijing will focus on ways to verify the contents of the declaration, by seeking agreement for international inspectors to visit nuclear sites, inspect equipment and interview officials. |
| NORTH KOREA NUCLEAR DEAL 2002: N Korea pulls out of previous deal after US accuses it of having secret uranium programmeOctober 2006: North Korea carries out its first test of a nuclear weaponFebruary 2007: N Korea agrees to end nuclear activities in return for aidJuly 2007: North Korea closes its Yongbyon nuclear reactor and allows IAEA inspectors inDecember 2007: N Korea misses a deadline to hand over a declaration of its nuclear workJune 2008: N Korea hands over nuclear programme details; US cautiously welcomes the move | NORTH KOREA NUCLEAR DEAL 2002: N Korea pulls out of previous deal after US accuses it of having secret uranium programmeOctober 2006: North Korea carries out its first test of a nuclear weaponFebruary 2007: N Korea agrees to end nuclear activities in return for aidJuly 2007: North Korea closes its Yongbyon nuclear reactor and allows IAEA inspectors inDecember 2007: N Korea misses a deadline to hand over a declaration of its nuclear workJune 2008: N Korea hands over nuclear programme details; US cautiously welcomes the move |
| North Korea is in the process of removing the fuel rods from its Yongbyon nuclear reactor in return for economic aid. | North Korea is in the process of removing the fuel rods from its Yongbyon nuclear reactor in return for economic aid. |
| It is pushing for faster payment of the economic compensation - including a million tonnes of fuel. | It is pushing for faster payment of the economic compensation - including a million tonnes of fuel. |
| "Our hope is to produce a verification regime that will lay out the rules for the road," Mr Hill told reporters. | "Our hope is to produce a verification regime that will lay out the rules for the road," Mr Hill told reporters. |
| He said the verification process would take "longer than just a few days... several weeks or even months. But we need to agree on how verification will work". | He said the verification process would take "longer than just a few days... several weeks or even months. But we need to agree on how verification will work". |
| Analysts credit the pragmatic Mr Hill with providing much of the driving force behind the negotiation process. | Analysts credit the pragmatic Mr Hill with providing much of the driving force behind the negotiation process. |
| But conservative critics of the Bush administration's approach to North Korea - which has undergone a major shift since North Korea was declared a part of an global "axis of evil" - complain it is handing over too many concessions, too quickly. | But conservative critics of the Bush administration's approach to North Korea - which has undergone a major shift since North Korea was declared a part of an global "axis of evil" - complain it is handing over too many concessions, too quickly. |
| The US says there are outstanding questions relating to the North's suspected uranium enrichment programme and proliferation activities. | |
| North's warning | North's warning |
| Pyongyang agreed to scrap its nuclear ambitions early last year. In return, the other five nations involved with the negotiations agreed to provide fuel and diplomatic concessions. | Pyongyang agreed to scrap its nuclear ambitions early last year. In return, the other five nations involved with the negotiations agreed to provide fuel and diplomatic concessions. |
| We stick to the principled basic position that the principle of action for action must be respected Unnamed spokesmanNorth Korean foreign ministry | |
| But the road to denuclearisation has been far from smooth, and the six-party talks foundered in the wake of Pyongyang's failure to hand over a declaration of its programme last December. | But the road to denuclearisation has been far from smooth, and the six-party talks foundered in the wake of Pyongyang's failure to hand over a declaration of its programme last December. |
| The regime unexpectedly produced the long-awaited document in late June. | The regime unexpectedly produced the long-awaited document in late June. |
| It then took the symbolic step of blowing up the already decommissioned cooling tower at its Yongbyon reactor. | It then took the symbolic step of blowing up the already decommissioned cooling tower at its Yongbyon reactor. |
| The US responded by agreeing to scrap some of the sanctions it had imposed on the regime. It has also begun steps to remove the North from a list of state sponsors of terrorism. | The US responded by agreeing to scrap some of the sanctions it had imposed on the regime. It has also begun steps to remove the North from a list of state sponsors of terrorism. |
| Last week, the North warned it would take no further steps to dismantle its nuclear facilities until the six-nation group provided the fuel and political benefits it had been promised. | Last week, the North warned it would take no further steps to dismantle its nuclear facilities until the six-nation group provided the fuel and political benefits it had been promised. |
| The regime's foreign ministry said in a statement it that has disabled 80% of its main nuclear complex, but has been supplied with only 40% of promised energy shipments. | The regime's foreign ministry said in a statement it that has disabled 80% of its main nuclear complex, but has been supplied with only 40% of promised energy shipments. |
| "We stick to the principled basic position that the principle of action for action must be respected," AFP news agency quoted a North Korean foreign ministry spokesman as saying on 4 July. |