Monday, September 19 2005 11:20 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Beijing: North Korea today (Sept 19, 2005) pledged to return to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), allow international inspections and end all its nuclear weapons and current nuclear programmes, according to a joint statement.

"DPRK (North Korea) promised to drop all nuclear weapons and current nuclear programmes and to get back to the nonproliferation treaty as soon as possible and to accept inspections of the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency)," said the statement.

The statement was issued at the conclusion of a fourth round of six-party talks aimed at ending the three-year impasse over North Korea's nuclear programmes.