'Hill could visit North Korea if agreements met'

Tokyo, Mar 18: The US envoy to talks on North Korea's nuclear programme could visit the communist state if it carries out by the middle of April the steps agreed to in talks last month, Japan's NHK public television said today.

Quoting US government sources, NHK said that should Pyongyang meet its commitments, Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill could visit North Korea as early as the end of April. No further details were given.

The long-running six-party talks reached a breakthrough accord on February 13 that gave North Korea 60 days to shut its Yongbyon nuclear plant in return for aid and security pledges.

Washington also agreed to defuse within 30 days Pyongyang's complaints about a crackdown on Macau's Banco Delta Asia (BDA), which the US Treasury Department accused of harbouring illegal North Korean earnings.

Another round of the talks, which include Japan, China, Russia as well as the United States and North and South Korea, begin tomorrow.

Reuters

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