North Korea Agreed to Start International Talks on Denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula

North Korea on 24 August 2011 agreed to go ahead with international talks on denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. North Korea expressed its readiness to impose a moratorium on tests of weapons of mass destruction and resume the stalled six-party talks on its nuclear programme.

North Korea expressed its inclination to resume the six-party talks on the settlement of the nuclear problem in the Korean Peninsula without pre-conditions. North Korean leader Kim Jong Il who was on a visit to Russia, held crucial talks with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev at a secret military facility Sosnovy Bor in East Siberia. Secret Soviet-era military facility Sosnovy Bor is situated near the capital of the Republic of Buryatia, Ulan-Ude.

The two leaders also discussed the settlement of North Korea's 11 billion US Dollars debt to Russia. It was first visit of Kim Jong Il to Russia in nine years. North Korea is facing economic hardship because of the economic sanctions imposed on it by the USA and other western countries.

The six-party talks, suspended in 2008 were announced on 22 July 2011 in Bali, Indonesia, during the ASEAN security forum. ASEAN security forum is only regular international occasion, in which both Koreas participate. The six-party talks were initiated in 2003, after North Korea declared its withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The following six nations are part of the six-party talks:

Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea)
Republic of Korea (South Korea)
People's Republic of China
United States of America
Russia
Japan