The United States has hinted that removal of North Korea from the list of nations sponsoring terrorism would depend on the comprehensiveness of a nuclear statement that is to be issued by Pyongyang to China on June 26.
The White House, from where the final nod would have to come from before the State Department gets into the operating mode, has indicated that apart from staying with the Thursday deadline the Communist nation would have to come clean on all aspects, including the nuclear cooperation with Syria.
"What we have been waiting for is for North Korea to issue to the Chinese, as the chairman of the six-party talks, its complete and accurate and verifiable declaration. And there is word that they would try to do that by Thursday. This is a deadline that the North Koreans themselves have put out there. We will see if they decide to do that," White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said.
"We want a denuclearized North Korea, but part of getting there is getting this declaration before any other actions are taken," she said.
"Based on past experience; deadlines have been kicked down the road before. But, you know, I couldn't say either way whether or not they'll meet this one. We hope that they do. But when they do, and if they do, it has to be one that is correct and verifiable," the official said.Perino was asked if Washington will consider a declaration as acceptable if it does not address the issue of North Korean cooperation on a nuclear reactor in Syria.
"I will refer you to the State Department on that. Obviously, Secretary (Condolezza) Rice spoke at length about this last week. And what we know is that there was cooperation between the two. And so, we all know that. We will see what the declaration says, but the bottom line is all of us know it," Perino added.
© 2026