Report: Russian diplomat says 50,000 tons fuel oil to be supplied to NKorea
© AP
25.09.2007 20:43:22
(live-PR.com) - MOSCOW (AP) - A senior Russian diplomat said Moscow will supply North Korea with 50,000 tons of fuel oil in November under a six-nation effort to get Pyongyang to shut down its nuclear programs, a Russian news agency reported Tuesday.
Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov made the comments to Interfax as he departed for Beijing where
he is scheduled to join envoys from the two Koreas, China, the United States and Japan on Thursday to lay out a program for disabling the North's programs.
«We, like our other participants of the six-sided negotiations, will be taking steps for compensation. This obligates to do this in November, when our turn comes,» Losyukov was quoted as saying.
Asked if that meant supplying fuel oil, Interfax quoted him as saying: «Yes, indeed. All participants agreed to supply an identical quantity _ 50,000 tons.
Pyongyang's top nuclear envoy, meanwhile, said upon arriving in Beijing that the latest round of talks on could be a make-or-break occasion.
«During this round of talks, if we can agree on measures to implement what we have already reached a consensus on, then we can proceed with the process,» Kim Kye Gwan told reporters.
«If not, it could go back to square one,» Kim said.
North Korea agreed early this month to disable its nuclear programs by the end of the year and negotiators are hopeful of settling details of how to move ahead.
Under a February agreement, the five parties agreed to provide North Korea with 1 million tons of heavy fuel oil, or the monetary equivalent in other aid and assistance.
In return, North Korea agreed to shut down its main nuclear reactor _ which it did in July _ and then to declare and ultimately dismantle all its nuclear programs.
Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov made the comments to Interfax as he departed for Beijing where
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«We, like our other participants of the six-sided negotiations, will be taking steps for compensation. This obligates to do this in November, when our turn comes,» Losyukov was quoted as saying.
Asked if that meant supplying fuel oil, Interfax quoted him as saying: «Yes, indeed. All participants agreed to supply an identical quantity _ 50,000 tons.
Pyongyang's top nuclear envoy, meanwhile, said upon arriving in Beijing that the latest round of talks on could be a make-or-break occasion.
«During this round of talks, if we can agree on measures to implement what we have already reached a consensus on, then we can proceed with the process,» Kim Kye Gwan told reporters.
«If not, it could go back to square one,» Kim said.
North Korea agreed early this month to disable its nuclear programs by the end of the year and negotiators are hopeful of settling details of how to move ahead.
Under a February agreement, the five parties agreed to provide North Korea with 1 million tons of heavy fuel oil, or the monetary equivalent in other aid and assistance.
In return, North Korea agreed to shut down its main nuclear reactor _ which it did in July _ and then to declare and ultimately dismantle all its nuclear programs.
