N.Korea-U.S. nuclear talks show signs of progress - envoy
08/04/2008 17:28 MOSCOW, April 8 (RIA Novosti) - North Korea's top envoy at the six-party nuclear talks said on Tuesday that Pyongyang and Washington had moved closer to resolving a deadlock that has stalled the talks.
"Differences have been narrowed substantially," the Yonhap news agency quoted North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan as saying after a day-long meeting with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill in Singapore.
"I would say the talks were successful and we will now proceed with further work in line with agreements," the diplomat said, without revealing details.
Washington has long suspected the North of pursuing a secret uranium enrichment program and of aiding Syria in the nuclear sphere. Talks in Geneva last fall failed to help the countries resolve the issues, with the U.S. refusing to strike Pyongyang off its blacklist of nations sponsoring terrorism.
Pyongyang started disabling its Yongbyon nuclear plant late last year as part of a deal with the U.S., China, Russia, Japan and South Korea in exchange for economic aid and diplomatic incentives. The Communist state is also to make a full account of its nuclear facilities and arsenals.
North Korea claims it supplied the U.S. with the required 'nuclear list' in November. However, Washington has said the list was neither "complete" nor "correct."
After the talks in Singapore, Hill will go to Beijing, where he will meet with the six-party envoys from South Korea, Japan and China and will also brief the Russian ambassador to China.
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