North Korea seeks U.S. recognition as nuclear weapons state

Dec. 1 (UPI) -- North Korea said the only way it would negotiate with the United States is if Washington agrees to recognize it as a nuclear weapons state, according to Russian delegates who recently visited. Vitaly Pashin, a member of the delegation, told Russian news service Interfax that North Korea is "ready to sit at the negotiating table." "We met with Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of North Korea," Pashin said. "He said North Korea is ready to sit down at the negotiating table." The only condition under which Pyongyang would agree to negotiate is if the United States recognizes the regime as a nuclear power, said the member of the Russian State.