Russia hails results of six-party talks on North Korean N-problem

Moscow, Feb 13 (UNI) Russia today hailed the results of negotiations at the six-party talks on North Korean nuclear problems in Beijing.

At the talks, North Korea agreed to shut down its nuclear reactor at Yongbyon in return for international aid, while Russia, US, China and South Korea said they would seek to involve Japan and the rest of the world community in helping Pyongyang.

''We may state that the work ended with the results which we expected,'' Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov told RIA Novosti news agency.

He said the sides adopted a plan of initial steps on Pyongyang's nuclear disarmament, pointing out that Russia, US, South Korea and China will provide humanitarian aid to North Korea in return for its nuclear disarmament.

The negotiators also discussed Russia's plan to write off North Korea's debt to the former Soviet Union, estimated at over 8 billion dollars, as a way of aiding the impoverished nation.

Mr Losyukov, however, denied statements to the effect that Russia may write off the debt, adding the two countries agreed to hold a meeting of an inter-governmental commission on the issue in March.

According to the agreement, North Korea will receive one million tonnes of fuel oil in energy aid after it opens up and disables all its nuclear installations.

The first 50,000 tonnes will be provided within 60 days of the shutdown of its five-megawatt reactor at the Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center, 100 kilometers north of Pyongyang.

Besdies, Washington has pledged to strike North Korea off its list of countries sponsoring terrorism.

Mr Losyukov confirmed the US promise to resolve the problem of financial sanctions against North Korea by the next round of the talks in Beijing, scheduled for March 19.

In the month ahead of the next round, negotiators will set up five working groups to help the parties along the way toward implementing the September 2005 agreement.

The minister said Russia will lead a working group on security in Northeast Asia, while China will chair a group on denuclearising the Korean Peninsula. South Korea will be in charge of issues of economic and energy aid to North Korea.

The remaining two groups will deal with North Korea's bilateral problems with the US and Japan. These groups will be chaired on a bilateral basis.

UNI