The U.S. Congress could supply North Korea with the funding needed to disable its nuclear facilities and clean up the sites, according to a proposal by Barbara Boxer, chairwoman of the East Asian and Pacific Affairs Subcommittee of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Boxer made the suggestion Wednesday after listening to chief U.S. negotiator in nuclear talks Christopher Hill give a briefing on his visit to Pyongyang early this month in a closed-door session of the subcommittee.
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U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Christopher Hill, center, and Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., left, speak with reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington on Wednesday, following a closed meeting of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the Six-Party Talks./AP
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"Congress would approve reasonable sums of money needed to support the process, including $106 million that Hill requested as the U.S. contribution toward fuel oil that is being provided to North Korea as an incentive,Ħħ she said. The U.S. State Department had reportedly asked Congress for initial funding of $106 million to give the North energy aid in the form of heavy fuel oil, shut down the nuclear facilities and verify the process under a Feb 13 denuclearization deal.
But the offer is conditional on North Korea making a full declaration of all nuclear programs and stockpiles and explaining its alleged nuclear connection with Syria, Boxer said. Hill said, "We are hopeful that we will have the complete declaration provided by around the year-end." There will be an additional round of talks with North Korea in late December, he added.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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