Talks and fuel aid aimed at coaxing North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons programme could move ahead in coming weeks, the US nuclear envoy said today, welcoming Pyongyang's invitation to UN inspectors.
The chief American negotiator in six-nation nuclear talks, Assistant Secretary of State Chris Hill, told reporters in the Mongolian capital that North Korea's invitation to the United Nations' atomic watchdog to send a delegation to Pyongyang opened the way to fresh momentum in the negotiations.
"It is a welcome step. It's got to be followed by a number of other steps. But it is certainly a step without which we would not be able to make progress," Mr Hill said.
He said US diplomats in New York had spoken with North Korean officials and he expected more discussions between them today.
North Korea's state news agency, KCNA, said last night the communist country had invited a working-level delegation of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to visit.
KCNA said Pyongyang's atomic energy department had written to the Vienna-based IAEA about holding discussions for verifying and monitoring "the suspension of the operations of nuclear facilities".
Mr Hill said he did not know when the IAEA officials would reach North Korea.
"I would assume very quickly," he said. IAEA spokeswoman Melissa Fleming confirmed it had received the invitation and said the organisation would decide next steps tomorrow, Kyodo news agency reported.