N.KoreaAgreestoAbandonNuclearWeaponEffortsNorthKoreahasagreedinprincipletoenditsnuclearweaponsprojectinreturnforsecurityandeconomiccommitmentsfromtheUnitedStates,inamajormovetowardspeacefulsettlementofapotentialfirestorminEastAsia.Chiefenvoysfromthetwocountries,aswellasChina,SouthKorea,JapanandRussia,participatinginnegotiationsinBeijingsignedadraftaccordonMonday,inwhichtheNorthKoreaagreedtoabandoneffortstoproducenuclearweaponsandre-admitinternationalinspectorstothesuspectednuclearfacilities.Inreturn,majorpartiestotheSix-PartyTalksinBeijingsaidtheywouldprovideaid,diplomaticassurancesandsecurityguaranteesandconsiderNorthKorea'srequestforalight-waternuclearreactor.China’sdeputyforeignminister,WuDawei,announcedthatthesixparticipatingnationswillreconveneinearlyNovemberinBeijing,tofleshoutdetailsofarangeofcriticalissuesconcerningtimingofimplementation,whentheinspectorswillbeallowedin,andwhattheeconomicaidpackageinclude.AnalystsinBeijingforecastthatnextround(s)ofnegotiationswon’tbeeasyandmajordisagreementscoulderupt.Evenso,thenewdealreachedafterone-week-longlaborioustalks,appearstorescueadiplomaticprocessthatwasonthevergeofcollapseaftermultipleroundsofnegotiationsfailedtoproduceevenajointstatementofprinciplesWashingtonhadthreatened,onceagain,itwaspreparedtotaketoughermeasures,includingfreezingNorthKoreanassetsabroadandpushingforinternationalsanctions,ifthelatestroundoftalkscollapsed.ChristopherHill,thechiefAmericannegotiator,hadsaidbeforetheagreementwasannouncedthathewasdeterminedtoendthediscussionsandreturntoWashington.Thebreakthroughcameatthelastminute,afterAmericanofficialshadpreparedtowrapupthenegotiationswithoutanaccord.Moregenerally,itwouldappeartoboostsupportforpeopleinsidetheBushadministrationwhofavoredpursuinglaboriousnegotiationswiththeNorthKoreans.HardlinersintheadministrationandinCongresshadraisedquestionsabouttheusefulnessofnegotiationswiththeNorth.TheUnitedStatesandNorthKoreaalsopledgedtorespecteachother'ssovereigntyandrighttopeacefulcoexistenceandtoworktowardnormalizationofrelations.ThetwocountrieshavenofulldiplomaticrelationsanddidnotsignapeacetreatyaftertheKoreanWar.NorthKoreanofficialshadalsodemandedthecountrybegivenalight-waternuclearreactoratthelatesttalks,butWashingtonhadsaiditandothercountriesatthetalkswouldn'tmeetthatrequest.Puttingasidethequestionfornow,thejointstatementsaid:"Theotherpartiesexpressedtheirrespectandagreedtodiscussatanappropriatetimethesubjectoftheprovisionoflight-waterreactor"toNorthKorea.Pyongyanghasalsorefusedtototallydisarmwithoutgettingconcessionsalongtheway,whileWashingtonhassaiditwantstoseetheweaponsprogramstotallydismantledbeforegrantingrewards.Thestatement,however,saysthesidesagreetotakestepstoimplementtheagreement"inaphasedmannerinlinewiththeprincipleof'commitmentforcommitment,actionforaction.'"TheothercountriesatthetalkssaidtheywerewillinggiveenergyassistancetotheNorth,includingaSouthKoreanplantodeliverelectricityacrosstheheavilyarmedborderdividingthepeninsula.
