Pyotr Shmelev: North Korea Throws Dust in USA's Eyes

North Korea has imposed a moratorium on nuclear testing, launching long-range missiles and uranium enrichment. This was the result of negotiations recently conducted by the representatives of the DPRK and the US in Beijing. In return, followers of the Juche idea were offered food aid. On February 29, the agreement was announced by the US State Department. They noted that the US intends to go beyond 240 thousand tons of food aid, and take other steps to improve bilateral relations. On its part, North Korea pledged to let IAEA inspectors into its main nuclear facility, a research center in Yongbyon. The information on the agreement with the United States was confirmed by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). A positive reaction followed from virtually all stakeholders. "The introduction of the moratorium is the first small step towards peace," commented on the incident at a congressional hearing US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. State Department officials said they informed the Russian leadership of all the agreements reached. The Americans stressed that the participation of Russia and China in a dialogue on North Korean nuclear program was "extremely important". The moratorium on nuclear testing was welcomed by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. He expressed hope that North Korea fulfills all its obligations, resulting in the Korean Peninsula transformation into a nuclear-free zone. Ban Ki-moon urged all parties to double their efforts to achieve a final solution to this issue. The IAEA has expressed its willingness to send its inspectors to North Korea.