Saiki hopes N. Korea nuke sampling to be put in writing at 6-way talks

WASHINGTON, Nov. 26 Kyodo - Top Japanese nuclear negotiator Akitaka Saiki expressed his desire Tuesday to put in writing, at the upcoming six-party denuclearization talks, an accord on taking samples from North Korea's nuclear facilities for the purpose of
verifying Pyongyang's nuclear declaration.

''It is natural that we cannot undertake a solid verification (unless the
samples are taken),'' Saiki, director general of the Foreign Ministry's Asia
and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, told reporters following talks in Washington with
his U.S. counterpart Christopher Hill, assistant secretary of state for East
Asian and Pacific affairs.
Pyongyang has rejected the idea of taking such samples but Hill stressed that
an October agreement between the United States and North Korea on the
verification of Pyongyang's nuclear programs already includes sampling.
The U.S. State Department said Oct. 11 that Pyongyang had agreed in bilateral
talks with Washington to allow its partners in the six-party talks to use as
verification methods ''scientific procedures, including sampling and forensic
activities.''
Saiki admitted that putting the verification methods in writing ''will not be
that easy.''
A meeting of the chief delegates to the six-party talks involving North and
South Korea, China, Japan, Russia and the United States is expected to commence
Dec. 8.