The United States will send a strong message to North Korea by not certifying that Pyongyang is adhering to a 1994 agreement aimed at containing its nuclear weapons program, the White House said today.
But spokesman Mr Ari Fleischer told reporters the US administration would issue waivers allowing 95 million in fuel oil to go to North Korea this year, as called for in the 1994 Agreed Framework.
"The president has accepted a recommendation from the secretary of state not to certify," Mr Fleischer said.
The announcement amounted to another strain in relations with a country US President Mr George W Bush has declared part of an axis of evil.
"It's a strong message to North Korea that they need to comply with their international obligations and agreements", Mr Fleischer said.
He said the waivers were designed to encourage the North to begin full cooperation with international monitors as required under the Agreed Framework.
Pyongyang's suspected nuclear arms program brought it to the brink of conflict with Washington in 1994 before a deal known as the Agreed Framework was struck to freeze the project in return for oil and Western-built light-water nuclear reactors.
Last week North Korea threatened to pull out of the deal in response to a US nuclear review that included contingency plans for American use of nuclear weapons against seven countries including North Korea.
In his January 29th State of the Union speech, President Bush declared North Korea was part of an axis of evil with Iran and Iraq on grounds that the three countries were attempting to develop weapons of mass destruction. He vowed to stop them.