SEOUL: North Korea said on Friday it could not discuss the next stage of denuclearisation until its negotiating partners fulfil their duties.

"Only when other participants meet their own obligations completely can it be said that the October 3 agreement is implemented," a foreign ministry spokesman told the official Korean Central News Agency. "Only after that will we be able to move on to the next stage of the talks."

The statement appeared to cast doubt on an early resumption of six-party talks aimed at scrapping the North's nuclear programme in return for aid and diplomatic benefits. The timeframe for the deal was fixed in October 2007.

Friday's statement came just a week after the North dramatically blew up the cooling tower at its Yongbyon atomic complex in front of foreign TV cameras.

"This showed our commitment to denuclearisation," the spokesman said. "In response to our efforts, other participants in six-party talks should sincerely carry out their obligations."

Last week, the North handed over a long-awaited declaration of its nuclear activities to China, the host of the six-party talks.

The spokesman described it as "complete and correct" but said his country was willing to cooperate in verifying it. "However, we stick to the principled basic position that the principle of action for action must be respected," he said.

He complained that while 80 per cent of the Yongbyon facility has been disabled, only 40 per cent of the promised energy aid has been delivered.

The spokesman also complained that the United States has not yet acted to drop the North from a terrorism blacklist.

After the declaration was handed over, US President George W Bush notified Congress of his plan to drop the North from a list of state sponsors of terrorism. But the move cannot take effect until a 45-day review period has passed.

- AFP/jk