(Adds details from U.S. Department of State in paras 5-8)
WASHINGTON, June 26 (RIA Novosti) - U.S. President George W. Bush said on Thursday that Washington would lift unilateral trade sanctions against North Korea and remove it from a terrorism blacklist.
The statement came after Pyongyang handed over earlier on Thursday detailed data on its nuclear activities to China, breaking a deadlock in the six-nation nuclear disarmament talks.
Bush said the move was "a step closer in the right direction," but added that Washington remained concerned about North Korea's uranium enrichment activities and suspected sales of nuclear technology to other countries.
"The United States has no illusions about the regime in Pyongyang," Bush said at the White House. "If North Korea makes the wrong choices, the United States and our partners in the six-party talks will respond accordingly."
The U.S. Department of State said in a statement that the presidential announcement regarding the lifting of sanctions was largely symbolic.
"The president's action on June 26 effectively lifts the application of the Trading with the Enemy Act [TWEA]," the department said.
"This action is largely symbolic, as most of the TWEA-based sanctions were lifted in 2000. Other sanctions - in particular those related to North Korea's detonation of a nuclear device on October 9, 2006, proliferation activities, and human rights violations - will continue on the basis of other laws and regulations," the statement said.
Pyongyang missed a deadline for submitting the data late last year, causing six-nation talks involving China, Japan, Russia, the U.S. and the two Koreas to stall. Pyongyang also agreed in February 2007 to halt its nuclear programs in return for economic aid and diplomatic incentives.
Russia welcomed the steps by North Korea and the U.S.
"We welcome this move, as well as the U.S. pledge to remove North Korea from the list of states sponsoring terrorism and lift sanctions against the country," said Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Borodavkin, who leads the Russian delegation at the six-party talks.
