North Korea is expected to follow this up with the demolition of the cooling tower at its Yongbyon nuclear complex, a symbolic event highlighting its commitment to disable the source of its bomb-grade plutonium. In an unprecedented move, the secretive state has invited some Western media to record the event.
ABDUCTIONS ISSUE UNRESOLVED
The chief U.S. envoy to the talks, Assistant Secretary of State Chris Hill, told reporters on Wednesday before heading to join Rice in Kyoto that North Korea's declaration was likely to be soon followed by a new round of six-party negotiations.
Washington has said it could move quickly to remove North Korea from its list of terrorism sponsors after the declaration. President George W. Bush bracketed North Korea, Iraq and Iran in an "axis of evil" after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, accusing them of state-sponsored terrorism and of seeking weapons of mass destruction. North Korea has also been accused of money-laundering, counterfeiting U.S. currency and manufacturing narcotics.
Removal from the U.S. list would ease trade restrictions and open the way for other cooperation with the United States, and eventually enable North Korea to work with the World Bank and other international institutions.
Japan has expressed concern about the United States removing North Korea from the terrorist list before the issue of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korean agents is addressed, but officials have recently indicated they now support the moves.
North Korea admitted in 2002 that its agents had kidnapped 13 Japanese in the 1970s and 1980s, five of whom have since been repatriated to Japan.
Rice said that Washington, a close ally of Japan, was determined to see progress on accounting for the abductees.
"We will continue to press on issues like the abduction issue, which is of great concern not just to Japan but to the United States as well," she said.
"It's a major human rights issue. We are encouraging the DPRK (North Korea) and Japan to continue their discussions but there needs to be real movement on that issue as well."
