U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Thursday that North Korea's nuclear declaration is not enough for the United States to begin normalizing ties with the Stalinist state.
Rice said the declaration submitted was a "good first step" in getting the North to abandon nuclear weapons, but stressed that process must be completed before Washington considers moving beyond a preliminary easing of some sanctions.
"Before we would contemplate anything further in terms of steps for political normalization or economic assistance, I think we certainly expect to see more from the North Koreans," she told reporters in Kyoto, Japan.
Rice also said the time was not yet right for her to visit North Korea.
"It is not time to contemplate that at this point," she said. "There is a long way to go here."
