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North Korea Is Nuclear Nation, Pyongyang Said
North Korea is a nuclear state now, Pyongyang told the six-nation talks resumed Monday, December 18, after a break of 13 months. North Korea said it will negotiate about disarmament no sooner than all sanctions against it are finally lifted, CNN reported.
The list of claims voiced by North Korea at the six-nation talks in Beijing spells out the lift of all sanctions of the United Nations and the United States, provision of a nuclear reactor to North Korea to be used for peaceful purposes and energy assistance for the time of reactor’s construction, a source that attended negotiations said on condition of anonymity.
Another desire of North Korea is to make nuclear nations regard it an equal partner. North Korea will speak only about the disarmament, not about any suspension of the nuclear program, envoys of this country made clear.
Pyongyang would proceed with the program should its claims be not met. This nuclear program is the means of deterrence for North Korea, the latter announced.
The list of claims astonished the nuclear nations. Pyongyang put forward all claims possible, an anonymous spokesman of South Korea told AP.
Apart from North Korea, the talks on its nuclear program involve envoys of China, Russia, the United States, South Korea and Japan. The talks were suspended in the fall of 2005 once the United States imposed financial restrictions on North Korea.
North Korea carried out an underground nuclear test in October, which rattled the region.
www.kommersant.com
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