Source:
Associated PressReports: NKorea May Miss Reactor DeadlineThe Associated Press
Wednesday, April 4, 2007; 6:27 AM
SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea may not meet a deadline for shutting down its
atomic reactor because of the stalled transfer of its funds frozen at a Macau bank,
top Asian diplomats said in news reports Wednesday.
-snip-But the U.S. agreed on Feb. 13 to resolve the financial dispute in 30 days to prod
North Korea to take initial steps toward dismantling its nuclear program by shutting
down its sole operating reactor by April 14. In exchange, the North is to receive
aid worth 1 million tons of heavy fuel oil and political concessions.
However, the return of the frozen money to North Korea has been delayed by
unspecified technical problems, causing the North to suspend further talks on
its disarmament.
China's nuclear envoy Wu Dawei said Wednesday the reactor shutdown deadline
was unlikely to be met, citing a gap between the U.S. and North Korea over the
money transfer and unspecified legal problems.
-snip-Read more:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040400493.html