Olli Heinonen, chief inspector of the United Nation's nuclear
watchdog, set out for North Korea yesterday to agree details on the
return of IAEA inspectors to monitor Pyongyang's promised atomic
shutdown.
"The purpose of the trip is now to go to negotiate details on
behalf of the IAEA on verification of the monitoring and closing
down of the Yongbyon facility," Heinonen, deputy director in charge
of global nuclear safeguards at the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA), told reporters at Vienna's international
airport.
"This is the result of the discussions of the six parties... and
(a) subsequent step forward after the visit of Mr ElBaradei to
Pyongyang in March," said Heinonen, who will be heading a
four-member team.
Following a stop over in Beijing today, the team was scheduled
to arrive in Pyongyang tomorrow and is expected to stay for five
days in the country. Negotiations will last two to three days,
Heinonen said.
North Korea agreed in February to mothball its Yongbyon nuclear
reactor, the center piece of its nuclear program and source of
weapons-grade plutonium, in exchange for fuel aid and security
benefits as well as a process to remove trade sanctions and
Pyongyang from a US list of state sponsors of terrorism.
But Pyongyang refused to honor the agreement until the release
of US$25 million at Macao's Banco Delta Asia, frozen after the
United States blacklisted the bank accusing it of laundering
illicit funds for the country.
On June 14, the Macao government said the money had been
released. Moscow confirmed on Saturday that the funds had been
transferred to a Russian bank.
Also on Saturday, Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill
- who made a brief trip to the East Asian state last week - said in
Tokyo that Pyongyang would shut down Yongbyon very soon, probably
within three weeks.
North Korea ejected IAEA inspectors in December 2002 and left
the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty shortly afterwards.
In 2005, Pyongyang announced it had nuclear weapons. Last year,
the country test-detonated its first nuclear device, drawing
widespread condemnation and UN financial and arms sanctions.
(China Daily via agencies June 25, 2007)
