Agence France-Presse,
Washington: The United States on Tuesday denied charges it was failing to live up to its part of six-country deal aimed at North Korea's denuclearization.
“The US has met and is meeting its commitments,” Gonzalo Gallegos, a State Department spokesman, told reporters when asked to comment on the charges.
Minju Josun, North Korea's cabinet newspaper, blamed Washington for the deadlocked denuclearization deal by criticizing its failure to start the process of removing Pyongyang from its list of state terrorism sponsors.
“As part of the February 13 agreement, the United States agreed to begin the process of removing the designation of North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism,” he said, reading a statement.
Under a breakthrough six-nation deal reached in February last year, North Korea, which tested an atom bomb in 2006, receives badly needed aid and security guarantees in return for disarmament.
But the hardline communist state missed a December 31 deadline to disable its main atomic facilities and give a full declaration of all nuclear programs, as required under the accord.
In response to the disablement and declaration, the negotiating partners — South Korea, the United States, China, Japan and Russia — were to supply one million tons of fuel oil or equivalent energy aid.
The United States was also to start the process of removing the North from its terrorism list, which blocks access to bilateral economic aid and loans from international financial institutions.
“We also agreed to advance the process of terminating an application of the Trading with the Enemy Act to North Korea,” Gallegos added.
“Criteria for removing a country's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism and lifting the application of the Trading with the Enemy Act are set forth in US law,” he said.
“US action related to the terrorism designation and the Trading with the Enemy Act application are dependent on North Korea's fulfillment of the requirements of US law and its progress on addressing concerns on a nuclear issue and meeting its denuclearization commitments,” he said.
“We're going to continue working with our close allies, Japan and South Korea, and our partners China and Russia as we urge North Korea to deliver a complete and correct declaration of all its nuclear programs,” he said.
