‘N.K. agrees to suspend uranium enrichment’

North Korea has agreed to suspend its enrichment of uranium for nuclear weapons, local reports said Saturday.

Citing an unidentified diplomatic source, Yonhap News reported the two countries reached the agreement during recent talks held in Beijing.

The sides “reached the agreement based on North Korea’s pledge to implement initial measures of denuclearization that include a suspension of its uranium enrichment program,” Yonhap said.

The United States, in return, has agreed to provide up to 240,000 tons of food aid to the North.

The meeting between U.S. special envoy on North Korean human rights Robert King and Ri Kun, director-general for North American affairs at North Korea’s foreign ministry, was held for two days from Thursday.

King, speaking to reporters Friday shortly after the meeting, said the talks were “constructive” and that he will report the outcome of the meeting back to Washington.

North Korea, suffering from chronic food shortages, is said to have requested rice, but sources in Seoul said the U.S. assistance will largely consist of biscuits and vitamin supplements for infants.

The U.S. has long held doubts that food assistance for North Korea, especially rice, may be diverted to the military.

“It appears the North has also agreed to address the United States’ monitoring concerns,” a source said while speaking on condition of anonymity.

The assistance will be delivered in shipments of 20,000 tons over the next 12 months, the sources said.

The deal could help ensure progress at nuclear negotiations later this month, Yonhap said.

The U.S. and North Korea are expected to hold a new round of high-level dialogue to resume the six-nation talks on ending the North’s nuclear ambition. Glyn Davies, the U.S. special representative on North Korea, is expected to meet North Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan in Beijing around Thursday.

Suspending the uranium enrichment program ― first disclosed by the North one year ago ― is a key demand of Washington’s before six-party negotiations can resume.

The North quit the six-party forum ― which also includes China, Russia, Japan and South Korea ― in April 2009, one month before its second nuclear test.

Pyongyang has long said it wanted the six-nation talks to re-start, but without preconditions. But the United States says the North must first show “seriousness of purpose” by shutting down the enrichment program.

(From news reports )