The six-party nuclear talks reached a tentative agreement Tuesday on the
initial steps toward North Korea's nuclear disarmament, marking the first sign of progress after three years of talks ridden with delays, AP
reported. The deal came after reports that the talks were to conclude Monday,
but as negotiators progressed toward an agreement, they continued late into the
night and then into the early hours of Tuesday. US Assistant Secretary of State
Christopher Hill emerged from a 16-hour negotiation session to announce that the
draft agreement contained commitments on disarmament and energy assistance,
along with "initial actions" to be taken by specific deadlines. He
also added that the framework for dealing with regional tensions will be laid
out within the month. The draft agreement must now be reviewed by the home governments of the six countries involved in the talks.
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