February 16, 2007	Friday	Muharram 27, 1428

TOKYO, Feb 15: North Korea is ready to implement this week's deal, under which it would shut key nuclear facilities within 60 days, Pyongyang's top negotiator was quoted as saying on Thursday.“The talks went well,” North Korean envoy Kim Kye-Gwan said on returning to Pyongyang, according to Japan's Kyodo News agency.

“We are ready to implement the results of the meeting,” Kim was quoted as telling the Russian ambassador and a senior Chinese envoy at the airport.

China and Russia are two participants in the talks that reached the breakthrough agreement, along with Japan, South Korea and the United States.

Under the deal, North Korea would have 60 days to shut down its main Yongbyon nuclear reactor and allow United Nations nuclear inspectors back into the country.

The regime would in turn receive a first tranche of 50,000 tonnes of fuel oil -- part of an eventual one million tonnes if it permanently disables its key nuclear facilities.

The comments came as a senior North Korean official said the communist country remained on alert against the United States which continued to try to “strangle” its economy and “tarnish” its reputation.

“The situation still remains tense and acute on the Korean Peninsula due to the US invariable hostile policy towards the DPRK,” said Choe Thae-bok, speaker of the North's parliament, referring to North Korea by its official name.—AFP