Hill: North Korea on schedule

PYONGYANG , North Korea, Dec. 5 (UPI) -- Top U.S. nuclear negotiator Christopher Hill expressed satisfaction Wednesday in Pyongyang with his just-concluded talks with North Korean officials.

Hill told Xinhua, China's official government-run news agency, before leaving the country for China he will meet with his Chinese counterpart, Wu Dawei, before returning to Washington to report to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

"We had a good today's talks and had a full tour of Yongbyon, I would say the disablement activities are going well on schedule," Hill said at the end of his three-day visit to North Korea.

"In Pyongyang, I have an opportunity to ... have further discussion with my counterpart Vice Minister Kim Gue Guam. We discussed the elements of package for Dec. 31 and accessed the factors of process that have been made. We have to keep working because we have more to do to meet our deadlines," he said.

Hill said the he also discussed the next steps in the process and "factors needed to try to keep the pace and get to the end of this" with the North Korean officials.