DPRK seeks agreement for aid, concessions

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, December 10, 2003

DPRK seeks agreement for aid, concessions

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The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Foreign Ministry said Tuesday Pyongyang sought an initial agreement with the United States and its allies in which it would freeze its nuclear programme in exchange for energy aid and other concessions.

A Korean-language statement issued by the DPRK's KCNA news agency spelled out what it called "initial steps" that could be agreed verbally to ease concern over the DPRK nuclear issue.

"Such steps would see us freeze our nuclear activities in exchange for our removal from the US state terror sponsor list, the lifting of political, economic military sanctions and a blockade, and the provision of heavy fuel oil, electricity and other aid by our neighbours and the United States," it said.

The statement, published by the Republic of Korea's (ROK) Yonhap news agency, carried no other details. It comes as the ROK, the United States and Japan along with China and Russia are trying to organize a second round of nuclear talks with the DPRK.

A DPRK official said earlier yesterday Pyongyang would return to six-party talks only if the US and its allies agreed to simultaneous concessions, a demand they have already rejected.

The nuclear issue came to a head in October 2002 when Washington claimed Pyongyang had said it had a covert nuclear programme. Washington halted shipments of heavy oil to the DPRK in November 2002 in response to Pyongyang's programme.

Washington placed the DPRK on a list of states it accuses of sponsoring terrorism in 1988.

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