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China urges patience on N Korea US urges N Korea to shut reactor
(about 2 hours later)
China has urged the US to show patience as North Korea appeared set to miss a key deadline for closing its Yongbyon nuclear reactor. The US has urged North Korea to fulfil its pledge to shut down the Yongbyon nuclear reactor, as Pyongyang missed a key deadline for closing the plant.
Beijing had urged US officials to wait "a couple more days", US nuclear negotiator Christopher Hill said. North Korea should "immediately" invite nuclear experts to begin sealing the facility, the US state department said.
Under a landmark deal signed on 13 February, North Korea agreed to shut down and seal its reactor within 60 days in return for economic aid. But the US said it remained committed to the landmark 13 February agreement.
But a banking row has stalled progress towards meeting the 14 April date. Under the deal, North Korea agreed to close Yongbyon within 60 days in return for aid. But a row over funds frozen in Macau has stalled progress on the deal.
"We have reached our 60-day deadline and needless to say, this presents a concern that the deadline has not been met," Mr Hill said in Beijing, where he has been holding talks. US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said it was time for North Korea "to make its move so that all of us can move forward".
But officials in Beijing had asked the US to be flexible, he said. In Beijing, US nuclear negotiator Christopher Hill said that North Korea's failure to meet the 14 April deadline was cause for concern.
But he said that Chinese officials had urged the US to show patience and to wait "a couple more days" for Pyongyang to comply.
"They said the lines of communication were open... if it is going to get resolved it certainly should be able to get resolved very soon," he said."They said the lines of communication were open... if it is going to get resolved it certainly should be able to get resolved very soon," he said.
Transferring funds Money row
The implementation of the deal - aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear programme - has been delayed by a row over $25m (£13m) of North Korean money frozen in a Macau bank. The implementation of the deal - aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear programme - has been delayed by a row over $25m (£13m) of North Korean money held in a Macau bank.
N KOREA NUCLEAR DEAL N Korea to 'shut down and seal' Yongbyon reactor, then disable all nuclear facilitiesIn return, will be given 1m tonnes of heavy fuel oilN Korea to invite IAEA back to monitor dealUnder earlier 2005 deal, N Korea agreed to end nuclear programme and return to non-proliferation treatyN Korea's demand for light water reactor to be discussed at "appropriate time" Limited outcry Q&A: Nuclear standoffN KOREA NUCLEAR DEAL N Korea to 'shut down and seal' Yongbyon reactor, then disable all nuclear facilitiesIn return, will be given 1m tonnes of heavy fuel oilN Korea to invite IAEA back to monitor dealUnder earlier 2005 deal, N Korea agreed to end nuclear programme and return to non-proliferation treatyN Korea's demand for light water reactor to be discussed at "appropriate time" Limited outcry Q&A: Nuclear standoff
In 2005 the US accused Banco Delta Asia (BDA) of acting as a conduit for money earned by Pyongyang from illegal activities, causing Macau authorities to freeze the accounts. In 2005 the US accused Banco Delta Asia (BDA) of acting as a conduit for money earned by Pyongyang from illegal activities, and the accounts were frozen.
After the 13 February deal, the US unblocked the funds and in recent days said it had found a way for the money to be transferred back to Pyongyang. After the February deal, the US unblocked the funds but finding a way to transfer the money took several days. However, the US now says the dispute has been resolved.
North Korea - which insists that progress on implementing the deal is contingent on getting the money back - said on Friday that it would "confirm soon" whether the funds had been released.North Korea - which insists that progress on implementing the deal is contingent on getting the money back - said on Friday that it would "confirm soon" whether the funds had been released.
Mr Hill said that financial dispute had been resolved. "North Korea understands the fact that their accounts, these funds, are accessible to them," he said. Mr McCormack said that if North Korea allowed International Atomic Energy Agency experts in to begin sealing Yongbyon, other countries could then move forward with the provision of heavy fuel oil as agreed under the deal.
And he called for greater commitment from North Korea. A senior US official told journalists that the US was prepared to give North Korea more time.
"We'd like to see a similar level of effort from the DPRK (North Korea), a level of effort that, frankly, we haven't been seeing," he said. "Our patience is not infinite... but we feel that given that the kind of unexpected complexities that did arise in connection with some of the banking issues that it's probably prudent to give this thing a few more days," Reuters news agency quoted the official as saying.
But on Friday, Foreign Ministry official Kim Son-gyong told the French news agency AFP that North Korea would "respect our commitment" under the deal. On Friday, North Korean foreign ministry official Kim Son-gyong told AFP news agency that Pyongyang would "respect our commitment" to the deal.
"There is no reason to be pessimistic. We will be faithful to this agreement if the Americans respect its clauses," he said."There is no reason to be pessimistic. We will be faithful to this agreement if the Americans respect its clauses," he said.
The deal followed heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula after North Korea test fired a new long-range missile in July and then held its first nuclear test in October.The deal followed heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula after North Korea test fired a new long-range missile in July and then held its first nuclear test in October.