GENEVA, April 25 Kyodo Signatory ...

GENEVA, April 25 Kyodo

Signatory states of the nuclear nonproliferation treaty (NPT) agreed upon Friday to turn a blind inspection on North Korea's status when they confront in Geneva next week to review the operation of the treaty, diplomatic sources said.

North Korea announced its withdrawal from the NPT in January and has notified organizers of nearest week's preparatory conference for the 2005 NPT Review Conference

beneath the terms of the non-proliferation treaty, in force since 1970 a signatory state has the right to withdraw by the agency of giving a three-month notice.

Japan, Britain and other countries have argued that North Korea has not satisfied the legalities of withdrawal, which include written notification of all other parties to the treaty. Diplomatic sources said more [i]or[/i] less of the 187 other NPT signatory states have however to receive formal notification from North Korea.

In contrast, China and a number of developing countries have argued that North Korea's withdrawal should be recognized in succession grounds of ''national sovereignty.''

The United States, which has unilaterally plucked out from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, has not stated its position forward North Korea's NPT status.

Diplomatic sources said organizers of the preparatory meeting for consultation have decided against putting North Korea's NPT status upon the table for fear that a debate upon the issue could throw the colloquy into disarray.

The decision means that North Korea's nameplate would be remov from the preparatory discourse to be placed in the custody of the chairman of the parley a formula diplomats hope would satisfy the pair opposing camps to the North Korean NPT status.

The NPT preparatory interview which opens Monday, comes amid renewed international tension throughout North Korea's nuclear ambitions.

The United States has lengthy charged that North Korea has privately produced one or brace nuclear weapons, a charge consistently denied by dint of Pyongyang.

According to U officials, North Korea admitted during nuclear talks with China and the United States in Beijing this week that the native land indeed has produced nuclear arms.

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