IAEA Chief to meet Chinese diplomat en route to DPRK

Source: Xinhuanet | 03-13-2007 08:11

BEIJING, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Mohamed El Baradei will meet with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei late on Monday afternoon, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

El Baradei arrived in Beijing on Monday on his way to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) for discussions on how to implement the landmark agreement reached at the last round of the six-party talks.

No details of the meeting between El Baradei and Wu have been released. The Foreign Ministry confirmed El Baradei will leave for the DPRK early on Tuesday.

El Baradei told reporters at Beijing airport that his talks with the DPRK side were going to be part of a very complex process.

He also said that he would discuss the broad framework of how to implement the new agreement to dismantle the Yongbyon nuclear facility.

The DPRK expelled IAEA nuclear inspectors in December 2002, and in January 2003, the country withdrew from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

El Baradei said his visit this time was expected to broker a return of inspectors to the country.

During last month's six-party talks in Beijing, the DPRK agreed to give up its nuclear weapons program and shut down its Yongbyon reactor within two months.

Soon after the talks, the UN nuclear chief said on Feb. 23 that the DPRK had invited him to visit the country for talks on its nuclear program.

China hopes that a positive outcome will be achieved during El Baradei's visit to DPRK, Wu said during an interview last Friday.

Wu said the visit would be an "important step" for the DPRK and IAEA to improve their ties and to implement the initial actions of the joint statement.

Editor:Du Xiaodan