North Korea’s top nuclear envoy said on Saturday it wanted a light-water reactor as compensation for shutting down its nuclear programmes, while accusing Japan of causing a political crisis. “For the shutdown, disabling, and eventual dismantlement (of North Korean nuclear facilities), the light-water nuclear reactor should come in,” Kim Kye-Gwan told reporters at Beijing airport before leaving for Pyongyang.
Kim’s comments follow nuclear disarmament talks in Beijing that ended Friday with the communist state reiterating its intentions to declare and disable all its nuclear programmes in return for fuel aid and diplomatic concessions under a February deal. No deadline was agreed during three days of talks involving China, the two Koreas, the United States, Japan and Russia, but discussions are to resume in September, following working-level talks to decide terms of the “declare and disable” agreement.
Talks began in 2003 to rein in North Korea’s nuclear ambitions but the reclusive regime conducted its first atomic test in October last year. The North is an energy-starved state which experiences frequent power shortages and wants the light-water reactor to generate electricity. The six nations agreed in September 2005 to discuss furnishing North Korea with light-water reactors “at an appropriate time,” with Washington insisting that Pyongyang must first disable all its current nuclear programmes. |