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| Rice holds N Korea nuclear talks | Rice holds N Korea nuclear talks |
| (9 minutes later) | |
| US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is holding talks with her North Korean counterpart, the first such meeting for four years. | US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is holding talks with her North Korean counterpart, the first such meeting for four years. |
| The talks will also be attended by foreign ministers from the other four nations involved in negotiations on the North's disarmament process. | The talks will also be attended by foreign ministers from the other four nations involved in negotiations on the North's disarmament process. |
| China has described the meeting as "significant", but the US said it would be an informal exchange of views. | China has described the meeting as "significant", but the US said it would be an informal exchange of views. |
| It comes weeks after Pyongyang handed over data on its nuclear activities. | It comes weeks after Pyongyang handed over data on its nuclear activities. |
| Ms Rice is expected to use the discussions - on the sidelines of an Asian regional summit in Singapore - to urge North Korea to approve a US draft document on how the information will be verified. | Ms Rice is expected to use the discussions - on the sidelines of an Asian regional summit in Singapore - to urge North Korea to approve a US draft document on how the information will be verified. |
| North Korea agreed in February 2006 to end its nuclear programme in return for aid and diplomatic concessions. | North Korea agreed in February 2006 to end its nuclear programme in return for aid and diplomatic concessions. |
| But the deal has faced numerous delays, and officials have yet to tackle the trickiest issues - such as how many nuclear weapons Pyongyang has and what should be done with them. | But the deal has faced numerous delays, and officials have yet to tackle the trickiest issues - such as how many nuclear weapons Pyongyang has and what should be done with them. |
| 'Consultation category' | 'Consultation category' |
| It is the first time top diplomats from Japan, the US, China, Russia, and the two Koreas have met since the nuclear talks began in 2003. 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 Why N Korea handed data over | It is the first time top diplomats from Japan, the US, China, Russia, and the two Koreas have met since the nuclear talks began in 2003. 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 Why N Korea handed data over |
| "This is quite significant," Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said as he opened the meeting. | "This is quite significant," Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said as he opened the meeting. |
| "This shows that the six parties have the political will to move forward the six-party talks process." | "This shows that the six parties have the political will to move forward the six-party talks process." |
| But Ms Rice has played down the importance of her first meeting with North Korean counterpart Pak Ui-chun. | But Ms Rice has played down the importance of her first meeting with North Korean counterpart Pak Ui-chun. |
| "I wouldn't call it either historic, monumental or even consequential," she said ahead of the talks. "I think it's really in the consultation category." | "I wouldn't call it either historic, monumental or even consequential," she said ahead of the talks. "I think it's really in the consultation category." |
| But, she added, she would give Mr Pak "a very strong message" that the nuclear decommissioning "really needs to be completed, and that it has to be a verification protocol that can give us confidence". | But, she added, she would give Mr Pak "a very strong message" that the nuclear decommissioning "really needs to be completed, and that it has to be a verification protocol that can give us confidence". |
| The declaration, which was handed over last month, is thought to detail North Korea's plutonium production efforts. | The declaration, which was handed over last month, is thought to detail North Korea's plutonium production efforts. |
| But it is not believed to address key issues such as an alleged uranium enrichment programme or alleged nuclear cooperation with Syria. | But it is not believed to address key issues such as an alleged uranium enrichment programme or alleged nuclear cooperation with Syria. |
| The US has now given North Korea a four-page document setting out what it must do to prove it has told the truth about its nuclear programme. | The US has now given North Korea a four-page document setting out what it must do to prove it has told the truth about its nuclear programme. |
| It is seeking extensive inspections of nuclear facilities, soil sampling and access to key scientists, the Associated Press news agency reported. | It is seeking extensive inspections of nuclear facilities, soil sampling and access to key scientists, the Associated Press news agency reported. |
| The goal was to reach a deal on the document by mid-August, US nuclear negotiator Christopher Hill said. | The goal was to reach a deal on the document by mid-August, US nuclear negotiator Christopher Hill said. |
| "They [the North Koreans] made some preliminary comments and indicated some problems with it," he said. "But we have to see what their considered comments back from the capital are." | "They [the North Koreans] made some preliminary comments and indicated some problems with it," he said. "But we have to see what their considered comments back from the capital are." |
| If the information is verified - a process expected to take months - the six nations must then discuss the final phase of the deal, under which North Korea must hand over all its nuclear material and put its nuclear facilities out of action for good. | If the information is verified - a process expected to take months - the six nations must then discuss the final phase of the deal, under which North Korea must hand over all its nuclear material and put its nuclear facilities out of action for good. |