U.S. Hopes For North Korea Nuclear Deal

11 August 2005 (RFE/RL) -- The United States says it hopes for a deal to end the North Korea crisis as early as next month, but is warning the communist state must make the key decision to get out of the "nuclear weapons business."

The comments were made late on 10 August by Christopher Hill, the U.S. envoy to six-party negotiations on North Korea due to resume in Beijing on 29 August.

Hill said the recent fourth round of six-party talks -- involving the two Koreas, China, the United States, Japan, and Russia -- focused "on trying to reach an agreement on principles" that could be used to reach an agreement "as early as September."

The talks are apparently deadlocked on North Korea's desire for civilian nuclear-power plants -- a step the United States says is unacceptable.

(AFP/dpa)