U.S. House of Representatives has passed a measure that would require the US President George W. Bush to certify that North Korea was not transferring nuclear technology to Iran and Syria before Pyongyang is taken off the U.S. terrorism blacklist. Though the measure was still a long way from becoming law, it could hinder the Bush administration's push to settle a nuclear disarmament deal with Pyongyang. Under the measure, President Bush would also have to certify that North Korea has provided a “complete, correct and verifiable” declaration of all its nuclear programs1.

South Korean chief nuclear envoy, Kim Sook meanwhile has hinted that the long-stalled international negotiations on the North Korean denuclearisation programme would resume in the coming month. The US and North Korea have made considerable progress in recent months, with North Korea handing over substantial quantities of documents to the US in order to enable it to verify the North Korean declaration and production of fissile material2.

• 1. “US House passes measure requiring Bush to certify NKorean nuclear progress,” International Herald Tribune, May 15, 2008, at http://www.iht.com/bin/printfriendly.php?id=12940899
• 2. “SKorea expects NKorea nuclear talks to resume next month,” International Herald Tribune, May 16, 2008, at http://www.iht.com/bin/printfriendly.php?id=12946175