A senior North Korean diplomat says his country's shutdown of its main nuclear facility in Yongbyon was a major political step toward establishing a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula.

North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choe Su-hon made the statement in a speech Tuesday at the opening of the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

He stressed that the North had sincerely fulfilled its commitments under the February 13th nuclear accord by shutting down its Yongbyon reactor and allowing inspections of its nuclear facilities by U.N. inspectors.

Choe said his government will closely watch how the U.S. and Japan fulfill their part under the February agreement.

On the inter-Korean summit talks under way in Pyongyang, Choe said he hopes they will provide an opportunity for the two Koreas to further develop bilateral ties.

He also said the summit will play a pivotal role in promoting peace, prosperity and unification.