N. Korea, U.S. continue nuclear verification talks
05/12/2008 16:49 MOSCOW, December 5 (RIA Novosti) - North Korean and U.S. negotiators on Friday began their second day of talks on verification measures for Pyongyang's nuclear disarmament, the Yonhap news agency cited a North Korean embassy official as saying.
"Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan left for the U.S. Embassy and the meeting is now under way," the official said.
Kim is meeting with Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, who previously told reporters, "I think they have a clear understanding of what we need in terms of how to go forward."
Kim and Hill held long talks on Thursday on issues due to be discussed at a new round of six-nation talks due in Beijing, scheduled for December 8, on the communist nation's nuclear program.
One of the main sticking points at the upcoming Beijing talks is expected to be whether North Korea will give international inspectors access to take samples from its nuclear sites.
"The issue is not the verification, the issue is how to express it in a piece of paper ahead of time so there are no misunderstandings when the time comes," Hill said.
Under the six-party deal, the North pledged to dismantle its plutonium-producing Yongbyon reactor and provide full information on its nuclear program. In October, the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, said the North had resumed work to deconstruct the reactor, after a break of several months.
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