North Korea Nuke Talks to Resume December 18th

December 10th, 2006

Washington, D.C. - Talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear weapons program are now scheduled for Dec. 18 in Beijing.

North Korea has avoided talking for more than a year, but agreed to resume negotiations eventually.

At the last round of talks in September 2005, North and South Korea, China, Japan, Russia and the United States produced an agreement in which North Korea committed to abandoning its nuclear program. In exchange, the other nations said they were prepared to offer political and economic incentives and security guarantees to the reclusive north.

With North Korea exploding a nuclear bomb, the US has stepped up its postering over sanctions.

U.N. Resolution 1718, unanimously passed by the council in response to North Korea's surprise underground nuclear test on October 9, prohibits trade with North Korea of any materials or weapons that could be used by its ballistic missile and weapons programs.

The sanctions also call for inspections of all cargo leaving and arriving in the country.