The United States announced Wednesday that North Korea had agreed to implement a moratorium on nuclear tests, long-range missile launches, and nuclear activities including uranium enrichment at its Yongbyon nuclear facility and to allow U.N. nuclear monitors access to ensure compliance. Specifically, Pyongyang has allowed International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors to verify and monitor the uranium-enrichment moratorium and confirm disablement of the reactor at Yongbyon, the State Department said in a statement. In return, the United States had agreed to meet with North Korea to finalize details of a proposed food-aid package and take other steps to improve bilateral relations, the statement said. "The United States still has profound concerns regarding North Korean behavior across a wide range of areas, but today's announcement reflects important, if limited, progress in addressing some of these," the department wrote. A U.S. official told Reuters the decision to move forward on the proposed food-aid package covering 240,000 metric tons of food followed talks in Beijing last week between the U.S. envoy for North Korea and Pyongyang officials.
