In a major breakthrough, North Korea today agreed to abandon its nuclear weapons and programmes and rejoin the Non-Proliferation Treaty, accept inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency after the USA agreed to normalise bilateral ties and assured of non-aggression. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is committed to abandoning all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programmes, a joint statement issued after six days of nerve-wracking negotiations, said. The six parties of the Korean peninsula nuclear talks agreed to hold their fifth-round negotiations in Beijing in early November this year, at a date to be determined through consultations, the statement, issued here today at the end of the fourth-round of talks, said. The six parties are committed to making joint efforts for lasting peace and stability in Northeast Asia. The directly related parties will negotiate a permanent peace regime on the Korean peninsula at an appropriate separate forum.