IAEA chief confers with US, Japanese, ROK envoys on Korean nuclear issue
16/3/2007 16:55
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Mohamed El
Baradei, met with US, Japanese and Republic of Korea (ROK) envoys in Beijing
this morning to discuss the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue.
"What we talked
about today was the first phase and what needed to be done in the first phase,"
US chief negotiator Christopher Hill told reporters after the meeting, saying
that they also had broader discussion about the second phase and beyond.
In
the second phase, Hill said he hoped to see the achievement of full disablement
of the Yongbyon nuclear facility in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
(DPRK)
"We talked a little about the status of the Yongbyon nuclear facility
and what needed to be done to shut it down," Hill said, noting that the IAEA
would deal with its shutdown.
Hill said El Baradei was focused on the first
phase "because we need to get the IAEA there within 60 days".
According to
the joint document issued during the fifth round of the Six Party talks entitled
"Initial Actions for the Implementation of the Joint Statement", the DPRK will
shut down and seal for the purpose of eventual abandonment the Yongbyon nuclear
facility, including the reprocessing facility and invite back IAEA personnel to
conduct all necessary monitoring and verification as agreed between IAEA and the
DPRK.
Hill said he would meet with DPRK officials on Saturday, and the
discussion would be based on the New York meeting. "I believe they will fulfill
their commitment," he said.
Xinhua
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