九年级英语Unit 5 Great people文章 N. Korea Agrees to Abandon Nuclear Weapon Efforts冀教版.doc

N. Korea Agrees to Abandon Nuclear Weapon Efforts
　North Korea has agreed in principle to end its nuclear weapons project in return for security and economic commitments from the United States, in a major move towards peaceful settlement of a potential firestorm in East Asia.
　　Chief envoys from the two countries, as well as China, South Korea, Japan and Russia, participating in negotiations in Beijing signed a draft accord on Monday, in which the North Korea agreed to abandon efforts to produce nuclear weapons and re-admit international inspectors to the suspected nuclear facilities.
　　In return, major parties to the Six-Party Talks in Beijing said they would provide aid, diplomatic assurances and security guarantees and consider North Korea's request for a light-water nuclear reactor.
　　China’s deputy foreign minister, Wu Dawei, announced that the six participating nations will reconvene in early November in Beijing, to flesh out details of a range of critical issues concerning timing of implementation, when the inspectors will be allowed in, and what the economic aid package include.
　　Analysts in Beijing forecast that next round(s) of negotiations won’t be easy and major disagreements could erupt.
　　Even so, the new deal reached after one-week-long laborious talks, appears to rescue a diplomatic process that was on the verge of collapse after multiple rounds of negotiations failed to produce even a joint statement of principles
　　Washington had threatened, once again, it was prepared to take tougher measures, including freezing North Korean assets abroad and pushing for international sanctions, if the latest round of talks collapsed.
　　Christopher Hill, the chief American negotiator, had said before the agreement was announced that he was determined to end the discussions and return to Washington. The breakthrough came at the last minute, after American officials had prepared to wrap up the negotiations without an accord.
　　More generally, it would appear to boost support for people inside the Bush administration who favored pursuing laborious negotiations with the North Koreans. Hardliners in the administration and in Congress had raised questions about the usefulness of negotiations with the North.
　　The United States and North Korea also pledged to respect each other's sovereignty and right to peaceful coexistence and to work toward normalization of relations. The two countries have no full diplomatic relations and did not sign a peace treaty after the Korean War.
　　North Korean officials had also demanded the country be given a light-water nuclear reactor at the latest talks, but Washington had said it and other countries at the talks wouldn't meet that request.
　　Putting aside the question for now, the joint statement said: "The other parties expressed their respect and agreed to discuss at an appropriate time the subject of the provision of light-water reactor" to North Korea.
　　Pyongyang has also refused to totally disarm without getting concessions along the way, while Washington has said it wants to see the weapons programs totally dismantled before granting rewards. The statement, however, says the sides agree to take steps to implement the agreement "in a phased manner in line with the principle of 'commitment for commitment, action for action.'"
　　The other countries at the talks said they were willing give energy assistance to the North, including a South Korean plan to deliver electricity across the heavily armed border dividing the peninsula.