Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
Voice of America is funded by the US Federal Government and content it
exclusively produces is in the public domain.

Reclusive North Korea Takes Steps to Resolve Nuclear Dispute
------------------------------------------------------------

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=16637BA:A6F02AD83191E1605D431B1E246BBFF99574F7DCC14957C0 N. Korea invites
IAEA chief, Mohamed ElBaradei, to visit Pyongyang North Korea is
taking steps to carry out promises it made earlier this month in a
landmark nuclear agreement.







Mohamed ElBaradei at the World Economic Forum in Davos (25 Jan 2007)On
Friday, Pyongyang invited the United Nations top atomic energy chief,
Mohamed ElBaradei, to visit Pyongyang for the first time since the
watchdog body's inspectors were kicked out of the country more than
four years ago.

ElBaradei is likely travel to Pyongyang in March where he will discuss
the shutdown of its nuclear facilities and the possible
re-establishment of relations between North Korea and the
International Atomic Energy Agency.

Saturday, South Korean newspapers report that North Korea's chief
nuclear negotiator Kim Kye Kwan will visit San Francisco next Thursday
for a lecture at Stanford University.

After the lecture, reports say Kim will head to New York for a meeting
with his U.S. counterpart, Assistant Secretary of State Christopher
Hill.

Neither North Korean nor U.S. officials have confirmed the report.

Earlier this month, North Korea agreed to close its main nuclear
facility and allow atomic energy inspectors in the country within 60
days in exchange for energy aid.

North Korea expelled IAEA weapons inspectors in late December 2002,
and officially withdrew from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in
January 2003.

Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.


.