A leading U.S. daily says the last round of the six-way nuclear talks yielded limited progress in Beijing.

The Washington Post said the parties to the talks agreed in principle Saturday on an intrusive inspection program to verify North Korea’s nuclear program and materials. Envoys also set up deadlines for the dismantlement of the North’s main Yongbyon reactor and fuel delivery to the North.

The report, however, said progress was limited as agreements reached were in principle and bogged down in details, typifying the tortuous path of the talks over the past five years.

The slow pace of negotiations makes it more likely that the Bush administration will end before the resolution of the North’s nuclear dismantlement.

The Associated Press also said the talks produced an agreement on getting the North to disable its Yongbyon reactor, but did not set a timetable for full disarmament.