N- Korea declares its nuke programme, US welcomes

“The United States welcomes the North Korean declaration of its nuclear programmes. Today’s development is an important step in the multi-step process laid out in the six party talks,” White House press secretary Dana Parino said in a statement.

She said President George W Bush was expected to make a formal announcement on his administration’s next steps.

“The United States will respond to North Korea’s actions by lifting the provisions of the Trading with the Enemy Act as well as announcing our intent to rescind North Korea’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terror in 45 days.” “During this period, the United States will carefully assess North Korea’s actions particularly with regard to verification” she said adding “there is stillwork to be done by North Korea to end its isolation”.

North Korea “must dismantle all of its nuclear facilities, give up its separated plutonium, and resolve outstanding questions on its highly enriched uranium and proliferation activities. It must end these activities in a fully verifiable way.” President George W Bush had branded North Korea as part of an “axis of evil” with Iran and Saddam Hussein’s Iraq.