US, North Korea, Reach Deal to Salvage Nuclear Accord

Via VOA News -

The United States has reached an agreement with North Korea to resume implementation of the six-party accord to end that country's nuclear weapons program. The Bush administration said Saturday it is removing North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism in return for new assurances from Pyongyang on verifying its nuclear activities. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.

The agreement, the product of weeks of high-level diplomacy, ends a dispute over verification that threatened to scuttle the deal under which Pyongyang is to scrap its nuclear program for aid and diplomatic benefits.

Bush administration officials say that as a result of the talks, including a Pyongyang visit by chief U.S. delegate Christopher Hill a week ago, North Korea has agreed to a series of measures that represent "significant cooperation" in verifying the declaration of its nuclear program made in June.

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack says the deal means Pyongyang is being removed from the U.S. terrorism blacklist, and North Korea in turn will reverse steps it has taken recently toward restarting its disabled Yongbyon reactor complex:

"The secretary of state this morning rescinded the designation of the DPRK as a state sponsor of terrorism, and that was effective with her signature. North Korea has stated it will resume disablement of its nuclear facilities. This demonstrates that the six-party principle of action-for-action is working," he said.