US wants NKorea to shut down its nuke complex

Washington, Apr 11: The Bush administration wants North Korea to begin shutting down its nuclear complex, as envisaged in the February 13 agreement, following the unblocking in Macau yesterday of the frozen Pyongyang bank accounts.

North Korea had refused to move ahead with its part of the agreement until the 25 million dollar in disputed funds were released.

State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack yesterday said the North Korean funds were officially unblocked and it was now incumbent on Pyongyang to begin the closure of the nuclear site.

The compliance deadline for the first phase of the six-party agreement is April 14.

Under the February 13 agreement reached at the six-party talks, North Korea agreed to end its nuclear programme including its weapons project in exchange for energy aid and a variety of other incentives.

The North Korean funds held in Macau's Banco Delta Asia were frozen in 2005 under action by the US Treasury Department, which said the bank had been a hub for counterfeiting and other illicit North Korean activity.

North Korea has not yet allowed the UN nuclear inspectors to return to site and monitor compliance.

But officials in Pyongyang are reported to have told the visiting US envoy Bill Richardson that the inspectors, expelled in 2002, would be allowed back in once the Banco Delta Asia money was released.

If the first phase of the nuclear accord is implemented, the six parties to the agreement - the two Koreas, Japan, Russia, the United States and China - are to meet at the ministerial level to discuss the way forward.

UNI

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