By DPA
Tokyo : North Korea agreed to allow international inspectors to visit its nuclear reactor in Yongbyon, Japanese media reports said Wednesday.
The delegation of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) arrived in Pyongyang Tuesday and was invited to visit the Yongbyon reactor Thursday, Japan's Kyodo News Agency quoted Olli Heinonen – the envoy of the UN nuclear watchdog – as saying.
Heinonen declined to comment on the discussions with North Korea's General Bureau of Atomic Energy but added that they had "a good meeting," according to Kyodo.
The IAEA inspectors were discussing with North Korea arrangements to shut down, seal and monitor the Yongbyon nuclear facility, which Pyongyang agreed to do in February at the six-party talks.
North Korea threw out the inspectors in December 2002. A month later, it withdrew from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and resumed operations at Yongbyon.
In exchange for shutting down the reactor, in February North Korea was promised food, energy and economic aid as well as talks on normalising ties with the United States and Japan.