U.S., N. Korea agree not to put accord on nuclear sampling in writing

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 Kyodo - The United States and North Korea have agreed not to clearly state in writing
at the six-party talks their recent accord on taking samples from North Korea's
nuclear facilities for the purpose of verifying Pyongyang's nuclear
declaration, negotiation sources said Thursday.
The document that the six countries are expected to compile in the near future
to cover the recent verbal agreement between U.S. and North Korean negotiators
on verification measures will only include an abstract reference to the ''use
of scientific procedures,'' the sources said.
The next round of talks involving the delegation chiefs of the six parties --
North and South Korea, the United States, China, Japan and Russia -- is likely
to be held in November with a view to putting in writing the system to verify
information on North Korea's nuclear programs provided by Pyongyang in June.
The Japanese government has asserted that a reference to sampling should be
included in the envisioned document as part of efforts to bring about North
Korea's denuclearization under strict verification, but Pyongyang is unlikely
to consent, the sources said.
They said that the North Korean side showed reluctance about specifying
sampling as a verification method in writing during talks in Pyongyang in early
October with top U.S. nuclear negotiator Christopher Hill.
This prompted Washington to compromise by agreeing to refer to ''scientific
procedures'' in the document while gaining a verbal commitment from Pyongyang
to allow the taking of samples during on-site inspections, the sources said.
Under the U.S.-North Korean deal, which still has to be approved by the other
members of the six-party talks, the two nations agreed ''on the use of
scientific procedures, including sampling and forensic activities,'' according
to a U.S. State Department fact sheet dated Oct. 11.
A U.S. government source emphasized there are no differences of interpretation
between Washington and Pyongyang with regard to the agreement.
But Japan has expressed concern about the ambiguity over sampling and South
Korea has also sought to restate the agreement in written form, the sources
said.
==Kyodo