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Shutdown timeline eludes Beijing talks

Pallavi Aiyar

Beijing: The latest round of six-party negotiations aimed at the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula ended on Friday having failed to set a deadline by when North Korea will follow the shutdown of its reactor by disabling the facilities and providing a full list of all its nuclear programmes.

Instead, all sides merely agreed to meet again in September before which expert working groups will convene to work out the thorny technical issues relating to energy aid and disarmament.

At the conclusion of the three-day talks, Chinese envoy Wu Dawei said despite the lack of clear deadlines North Korea remained committed to winding down nuclear activities. “The DPRK side reiterated that it will earnestly implement its commitment to a complete declaration of all nuclear programmes and disablement of all existing nuclear facilities.”

The talkstook place amid Pyongyang shuttering all the facilities at its Yongbyon nuclear complex. In return, it received 50,000 tonnes of heavy fuel oil. U.S. envoy Christopher Hill said he remained optimistic that much could be achieved within this calendar year.

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