The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is making progress on disabling its nuclear facilities but more talks are needed to complete an inventory of its atomic arms programs, a senior US diplomat said on Friday.
"They are disabling all three facilities and they are moving actually quite on schedule," Washington's top envoy to the nuclear talks, Christopher Hill, said in Tokyo where he was for talks with his Japanese counterpart.
Hill said that for technical reasons the disablement probably could not be finished by the end of this year, but added: "Everything is going smoothly."
Hill delivered a letter from US President George W. Bush to DPRK top leader Kim Jong-il on Wednesday at the end of a three-day trip to the reclusive communist state.
In his letter, Bush urged the DPRK to keep its promise to reveal all nuclear programs.
Besides disabling its nuclear facilities, Pyongyang is also obligated under a February deal to give a full account of its nuclear program, while Washington is to move toward taking Pyongyang off a US list of states that sponsor terrorism.
"I emphasise what we have emphasised before, which is the need for the declaration to be complete and correct," Hill said.
"As for the timing of the declaration, I think it depends on the decision made in Pyongyang. But I do believe they can have a certain draft before the end of the year."
Wu Dawei, head of the Chinese delegation to the six-party talks, met with Hill on Thursday, exchanging views on the present situation and future work of the six-party talks.
China hopes the six parties will "keep good momentum, and advance all work leading to the virtual denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula', he said.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said on Thursday that the six countries are still consulting on whether to hold a new round of meetings on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue before the end of the year.
"The date for further meetings should be acceptable to all six parties and is still under discussion," Qin said.
Hill dismissed possibility of the six-party talk convening before the end of this year.
Source: China Daily/Agencies
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