Beijing, September 19:

In a major breakthrough, North Korea today agreed to abandon its nuclear weapons and programmes and rejoin the Non-Proliferation Treaty, accept inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency after the US agreed to normalise bilateral ties and assured of non-aggression. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) is committed to abandoning all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programmes, a joint statement issued after six days of nerve-wracking negotiations, said.

The six parties to the Korean Peninsula nuclear talks agreed to hold their fifth-round negotiations in Beijing in early November this year, at a date to be determined through consultations, the statement, issued here today at the end of the fourth-round of talks, said.

The six parties are committed to making joint efforts for lasting peace and stability in Northeast Asia, it said. The directly related parties will negotiate a permanent peace regime on the Korean Peninsula at an appropriate separate forum. The six parties, the US, North Korea, South Korea, China, Japan and Russia agreed to take coordinated steps to implement their consensus in a phased manner in line with the principle of “commitment for commitment, action for action.” The DPRK also pledged in the statement to return, at an early date, to the NPT and to IAEA safeguards.

“The United States affirmed that it has no nuclear weapons in the Korean Peninsula ans has no intention to attack or invade (North Korea) with nuclear or conventional weapons.” The DPRK and the United States undertook to respect each other’s sovereignty, exist peacefully together, and take steps to normalise their relations subject to their respective bilateral policies, according to the statement.

The DPRK and Japan also undertook to take steps to normalise their relations in accordance with the Pyongyang Declaration, on the basis of the settlement of unfortunate past and the outstanding issues of concern, it said. A report from Vienna said the head of the UN nuclear nonproliferation agency today welcomed North Korea’s decision.