South Korea and the United States have agreed that the process of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula must swiftly enter into the stage of nuclear dismantlement.

Foreign Minister Song Min-soon said the agreement was reached when he met with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Paris Monday on the sidelines of a meeting of countries that have provided aid to Palestine.

He made the statement as he cited that Pyongyang has faithfully carried out its obligations on declaring its nuclear programs and materials in line with an October 3rd accord.

According to Song, he and Rice reaffirmed that Washington will fulfill its part of the October accord in return for the North’s nuclear disablement and declaration, including providing assistance to Pyongyang and removing the North from a U.S. list of terror-sponsoring nations.

The Foreign Ministry said the two officials also reviewed progress in the second stage of the North’s nuclear denuclearization and positively assessed developments in the disablement of the North’s key nuclear facilities in Yongbyon.