This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/6903894.stm

The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
N Korea closes more nuclear sites N Korea closes more nuclear sites
(20 minutes later)
North Korea has shut down four more of its nuclear facilities in addition to its main reactor, the head of the UN nuclear agency has confirmed. North Korea has shut down all five nuclear facilities at its main Yongbyon complex, International Atomic Energy Agency head Mohamed ElBaradei says.
"We have verified that all five nuclear facilities have been shut down," International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei said. IAEA monitors in North Korea had verified the four new closures, Mr ElBaradei told journalists in Malaysia.
North Korea closed its sole working reactor at Yongbyon on Saturday. North Korea shut down its sole working reactor at Yongbyon on Saturday.
The move comes with international envoys meeting in Beijing to discuss the next steps in a disarmament deal. The move comes with international envoys meeting in the Chinese capital, Beijing, to discuss the next steps in North Korea's nuclear disarmament deal.
Delegates from six nations want North Korea to agree to a timetable for the second phase of the deal, under which it must declare and disable all its nuclear facilities. "We have verified all the five nuclear facilities have been shut down," Mr ElBaradei told journalists in Kuala Lumpur.
If North Korea does end its nuclear programme, under the 13 February 2007 agreement it is to receive a total of one million tons of energy aid. Some of the facilities had also been sealed by the IAEA monitors, he said.
The Yongbyon closures are the first step in a deal agreed in February 2007, under which North Korea is to receive a total of one million tons of energy aid if it ends its nuclear programme.
Second phase
Negotiators for the six countries involved in the deal - the US, China, Japan, South Korea and Russia, as well as North Korea - are meeting for two days of talks in Beijing.
N KOREA NUCLEAR DEAL N Korea to "shut down and seal" Yongbyon reactor, then disable all nuclear facilitiesIn return, will be given 1m tons 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" Q&A: N Korea stand-off Timeline: Nuclear crisis
They want North Korea to agree to a timetable for the deal's second phase, under which it must declare and disable all its nuclear facilities.
"We all know that we've got a long road ahead of us with many steps," US envoy Christopher Hill said ahead of the talks.
"Maybe we could try to agree on getting these next phase things done in calendar year 07," Reuters news agency quoted him as saying.
For his part, before leaving Pyongyang, North Korean negotiator Kim Kye-gwan said that the six-party talks would address "obligations and actions" to be taken by all sides.
Analysts say that while the Yongbyon closures are an important step, persuading North Korea to fully disclose all of its nuclear facilities and agree to their being disabled is likely to be a long and difficult process.
One hurdle is the US allegation that North Korea - which carried out its first nuclear test in October 2006 - has a secret uranium enrichment programme. Pyongyang denies this.
"Uranium enrichment is an ongoing issue and, believe me, we are working on it," Mr Hill said.