MOSCOW, July 10 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's foreign minister said Tuesday North Korea was fulfilling its commitments and cooperating with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
"I would not make any claims about North Korea," Lavrov said. "I have heard no complaints about Pyongyang failing to fulfill its commitments so far."
In February, the Communist state pledged to shut its Yongbyon reactor, a source of weapon-grade plutonium, and allow IAEA inspectors back into the country in exchange for fuel supplies, and other economic and diplomatic incentives.
The North said last week it would start closing down its nuclear complex as soon as the first shipment of South Korean fuel oil reached its ports. Seoul is expected to start delivering fuel Thursday. South Korea's 50,000 metric tons of fuel oil are to be followed by another 950,000 metric tons from the United States, Russia and China.
Lavrov said Moscow urged the next round of six-nation talks with Pyongyang, which conducted its first nuclear bomb tests last October. He said the date depended on whether UN inspectors confirmed the suspension of operations at the Yongbyon complex.
UN experts are expected to arrive in North Korea July 12-14 to monitor the closure of the facilities.
South Korea's Yonhap news agency said Tuesday citing diplomatic sources in China that North and South Koreas, China, the United States, Russia and Japan could resume disarmament talks in Beijing July 18. But China, which hosted previous sessions, has not made an official announcement yet.
