FACTBOX: Verification measures agreed by North Korea, U.S

Sat Oct 11, 2008 1:37pm EDT
 
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(Reuters) - The United States and North Korea has agreed on verification measures for Pyongyang's nuclear programs which paved the way for Washington to remove the North from its terrorism blacklist on Saturday.

Following are some of the key measures agreed to in meetings last week between negotiators from both North Korea and the United States:

-- Experts will have access to all declared nuclear facilities and, based on "mutual consent", to undeclared sites.

-- Experts from the six nations handling the North Korea nuclear dossier -- the two Koreas, the United States, Japan, China and Russia -- can participate in verification.

-- The International Atomic Energy Agency will have an "important consultative and support role" in verification.

-- There is agreement on the use of scientific procedures, including taking samples out of North Korea, and doing various forensic activities to verify nuclear activities.

-- The measures will apply to North Korea's plutonium-based program and "any uranium enrichment and proliferation activities".

-- The agreement between the United States and North Korea will serve as a baseline for a "verification protocol" to be adopted by the six nations involved in denuclearization talks at a meeting to be held "in the near future".

(Compiled by Sue Pleming, edited by Anthony Boadle)

 
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