North Korea talks set no deadline

The chief US negotiator, Christopher Hill, said the envoys broadly agreed on how the next phase will be carried out.

Groups of experts will meet to work out technical details for the next phase before a timeframe is endorsed.

Now the main nuclear reactor has been shut down, negotiators wanted Pyongyang to commit to a timetable for disclosing and disabling all nuclear facilities.

Technicalities of disarmament

The specialist working groups will focus on energy, North Korea's relations with the United States and Japan, and the technicalities of disarmament.

"Once we've put those specific tasks together we will have specific time frames and then we'll go at it," Mr Hill said.

He said it was "quite feasible" that North Korea could complete disabling its nuclear facilities by the end of 2007.

Mr Hill denied that North Korea was seeking to drag out the process with new demands, and said this session of the six-nation talks was the "very best" because it had remained focused on future plans.

The talks were due to end on Thursday, but are now being extended into Friday.

North Korea has already shut down all five nuclear facilities at its main Yongbyon complex.

A team of inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency have verified the closures, which mark the first step in a deal agreed in February 2007 with the US, Russia, China, South Korea and Japan.

'Willing to declare'

Under the deal, North Korea is to receive one million tons of fuel aid if it fully ends its nuclear programme.

The first day of talks in the Chinese capital, aimed at implementing the second phase of the deal, ended on an apparently optimistic note.

N KOREA NUCLEAR DEAL

• N Korea to "shut down and seal" Yongbyon reactor, then disable all nuclear facilities
• In return, will be given 1m tons of heavy fuel oil
• N Korea to invite IAEA back to monitor deal
• Under earlier 2005 deal, N Korea agreed to end nuclear programme and return to non-proliferation treaty
• N Korea's demand for light water reactor to be discussed at "appropriate time"

Q&A: N Korea stand-off

Timeline: Nuclear crisis

"North Korea showed its willingness to declare and disable (its nuclear facilities) within the shortest period of time, within this year, or five to six months," South Korean negotiator Chun Yung-Woo told reporters.

North Korea's move to shut down its Yongbyon complex has been seen as a significant step.

But analysts have warned that persuading Pyongyang to fully disclose all of its nuclear facilities could be a long and difficult process.

One hurdle is the US allegation that North Korea has a secret uranium enrichment programme. Pyongyang denies this.

Another is that once the second phase of the deal is complete, North Korea - which carried out its first nuclear test in October 2006 - will then have to hand over its nuclear materials.

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