Hill Says Nuclear Talks Still ‘on Track’

U.S. chief nuclear negotiator Christopher Hill said in Beijing Thursday he thinks North Korea will close its nuclear weapons facilities before the year’s end.

I do believe that we will be able to arrange a time schedule … that will get us through disablement in this calendar year in 2007, Christopher Hill told reporters, Yonhap reported.

Hill spoke to reporters shortly after a recess was called in the six-party talks over North Korea’s nuclear programs. The recess was called after North Korean negotiator Kim Kye-gwan flew home upon learning that $25 million in frozen North Korean funds had not yet been freed from a Macau bank.

Hill said the talks were still on track.

Even with the delay caused by this banking issue … it is our strong view that we are still on schedule to meet all the 60-day requirements, he told reporters.

Under a Feb. 13 agreement, North Korea agreed to shut down its nuclear facilities at Yongbyon and agreed to give the United Nations a list of its nuclear programs, in exchange for fuel oil or other aid.