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SEOUL: North Korea announced Thursday it would convene a new session of its rubber-stamp parliament next month, just three days before a deadline to shut down its main nuclear programme.
The meeting of the Supreme People's Assembly will start on April 11, the North's Korean Central News Agency reported.
The legislature convenes irregularly once or twice a year.
The previous session focused on measures to boost the economy, food production and military firepower.
Under a six-nation agreement reached on February 13, North Korea is to shut down and seal its Yongbyon reactor by April 14 in return for an initial shipment of 50,000 tons of heavy fuel oil.
In the next phase of the deal, which has no time limit, it should declare and disable all its nuclear programmes in return for another 950,000 tons of fuel oil or equivalent aid, as well as diplomatic benefits.
North Korea also demanded that a US-inspired financial freeze of its assets in a Macau bank be lifted as part of the first phase.
The United States said on Monday it had struck a deal to release all US$25m in the accounts.
But at six-party talks in Beijing this week, the North is refusing to discuss implementing the nuclear deal until all formalities related to the return of the money have been completed. - AFP/yy
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