IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei on Monday extended warm welcome to the outcome of the six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, saying he hoped the IAEA would go back to the DPRK for inspection as soon as possible.

Speaking prior to a board of governors meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Baradei lauded the commitment of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to abandoning all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs, which the DPRK made at the six-party talks in Beijing.

"There is a balanced package," he said, noting that this would be served as an encouragement to resolving the Iran nuclear issue the IAEA boarding meeting would strive to address over this week.

The IAEA chief said he hoped that his agency would go back to the DPRK to do inspection "as soon as possible."

After the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue arose in the early 1990s, the IAEA started to inspect the DPRK's possible nuclear program in May 1992. In December 2002, the DPRK announced to dismantle inspection cameras on frozen nuclear facilities and the IAEA stopped its inspection in the country.

Baradei said after two years' suspension of inspection by the IAEA, he hoped his agency would soon discuss with the DPRK authorities on the arrangements for inspection.

The outcome of the six-party talks demonstrates that negotiation was "the best solution" to resolve disputes, Baradei added.

The fourth round of the six-party talks concluded Monday in Beijing with the adoption of a joint statement, in which the DPRK agreed to abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs and allow international inspections in exchange for energy aid, economic cooperation and security guarantees.

Source: Xinhua