North Korea has agreed to give up all nuclear activities and rejoin the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, in a move diplomats called a breakthrough.

In return, the US said it had no intention of attacking the North, which was also promised aid and electricity.

The agreement came during a fourth round of six-nation talks in Beijing, aimed at ending a three-year standoff over North Korea's nuclear ambitions.

But correspondents warned that some key issues had not yet been resolved[...]
The BBC's Charles Scanlon in Seoul says that while the statement appears to be a significant step forward in principle, difficulties may arise in its implementation.

One issue which has yet to be resolved is North Korea's demand that it be given a civilian light-water nuclear reactor to generate electric power.

This US has described this request as a non-starter, but agreed in Monday's statement that the issue could be addressed again in the future.

Disagreement also remains over the scope and scale of North Korea's weapons programmes.

The question of verification of these programmes has yet to be addressed - an issue which our correspondent says could present the most formidable obstacle to a final agreement.