(June 16, 1995) The negotiations between North Korea and the US on the implementation of their earlier agreement on the modernization of North Korea's nuclear power plants are coming to an end. The negotiations had a very difficult start and had been postponed because North Korea did not want the new nuclear power plants to be built in North Korea to be coming from South Korea. The last round of the meetings started 20 May in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia.
(433/34.4290) WISE Amsterdam - According to North Korea's press office, the two parties have come to an agreement. North Korea had earlier warned that if the negotiations failed, it was capable of making three nuclear bombs out of the plutonium it now has.
In October last year, the US and North Korea agreed that Pyongyang would get two new light water reactors which produce less plutonium. Since South Korea was willing to pay the biggest part of the US$4 billion costs, the US proposed that South Korea deliver the nuclear plants. North Korea however balked.
According to South Korean newspapers, North Korea had then agreed to the delivery of the reactors by the multinational Organization of Energy Development on the Korean Peninsula. North Korea had reportedly promised to accept the manufacturer designated by this multinational entity, which is to be directed by the US, South Korea and Japan.
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Latest! An agreement between North-Korea and the US has been reached. The multinational company Korean Peninsula energy Development Organisation (Kedo) will supply the two light water reactors. The head of the company is an American and not someone from South Korea as had earlier been proposed by the US. Due to that shift, North Korea no longer had any objections to the deal. Trouw NL, 14 June 1995 |
Source: Trouw (NL), 8 and 9 June 1995
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