Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice received mixed news yesterday on nuclear proliferation: a tentative agreement with North Korea that could break an impasse in negotiations and an Iranian claim that the country was expanding its nuclear capabilities.
After meeting with North Korea’s envoy, chief U.S. negotiator Christopher Hill sent word that a three-month impasse might be broken soon if Pyongyang’s leaders sign off on an agreement reached in Singapore on a North Korean nuclear declaration.
Mr. Hill indicated that progress had been made during his meeting with the envoy, Kim Kye-gwan.
“I think, depending on what we hear back from the capitals by tomorrow, there will be some further announcements very soon,” he told reporters. “If all goes well, I hope we can have some further statements in Beijing tomorrow, which would involve some follow-on activities.”
Mr. Kim was more upbeat, according to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency.
“Differences have been narrowed a lot,” he was quoted as saying. “I would say the talks were successful.”
The state has disabled its main nuclear plant at Yongbyon, but has resisted submitting a full declaration of its past and present nuclear programs and materials, as required by an October deal reached in six-nation negotiations.
Washington has particular concerns about a suspected uranium-enrichment program in the North as well as nuclear-related transfers to Syria. To help the North Koreans save face, the Americans have suggested that those efforts be addressed in a document separate from the main declaration, which will include only the plutonium program.
Iran continued to edge closer to nuclear-weapons-making capability by beginning the installation of 6,000 centrifuges to enrich uranium.
“As a result of the resistance of the Iranian people, the country has reached a major goal, which is to become a nuclear state,” President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said during a visit to the plant in Natanz, according to the official Islamic Republic News Agency.
The announcement prompted criticism from the West and a threat of new U.N. sanctions, which Russia said it would oppose. The U.N. Security Council has imposed three rounds of sanctions because of Iran’s refusal to suspend uranium enrichment.
“I fear that we will have to continue on the path of sanctions if we do not receive a response from the Iranians,” French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said in Paris.
In London, the British Foreign Office said: “Iran has not only failed to suspend enrichment, but has chosen to ignore the will of the international community by announcing the installation of new centrifuges.”
Miss Rice told reporters at the State Department that she could not “substantiate the claims” regarding the centrifuges, but that “the underlying situation” had not changed.
“Iran faces the continued isolation in the international community because it will not take a reasonable offer,” she said.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told Ekho Moskvy radio yesterday that “new positive proposals” should be presented to Iran, but he was not specific.
The five permanent Security Council members and Germany will discuss the Iran matter, including repackaging an incentives offer initially made in 2006, at a meeting in Shanghai next week, officials said.
• This article is based in part on wire service reports.
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