By Xinhua
Washington : The US is ready to open full diplomatic ties with North Korea if it completely gives up its nuclear weapons and programmes, a top US diplomat has said.
“We believe that we have some elements that we can put on the table which will be worth North Korea’s while in giving up its nuclear ambitions,” Christopher Hill, top US negotiator to the six-party talks over the communist country’s nuclear issue, said at a Congressional hearing Wednesday.
“In the context of full denuclearization we would be prepared to establish full diplomatic relations,” Hill said.
Under an agreement reached by the six-party (the US, Russia, China, Japan, North and South Korea) talks in Beijing in February last year, North Korea agreed to abandon all nuclear weapons and nuclear programmes by the end of last year in exchange for diplomatic and economic incentives.
However, Pyongyang missed the deadline, although there was reported progress in its nuclear disablement and declaration.
The US has also held out the possibility of removing North Korea from the list of “state sponsors of terrorism” on the condition that it fully gives up its nuclear weapons, programmes and fully declare its nuclear activities.