The North Korean authorities have provided evidence in order to show that Pyongyang never intended to produce highly enriched uranium for use in nuclear weapons as the U.S. have claimed, the Washington Post said, citing officials from South Korea and the U.S.

At some point in the discussions, the Pyongyang government granted U.S. experts access to equipment and documents in their intention of proving that the assertions about the uranium enrichment program were incorrect.

The North Korean government is trying to prove that the material it imported was in fact destined for conventional weapons programs or dual-use projects that may have military as well as civilian applications.

If the evidence provided by Pyongyang proves to be accurate it would severely undermine the U.S. intelligence and the credibility of the Bush Administration.

The North Korean officials are hoping that the United States will lift its sanctions against the reclusive Communist state when its government makes the declaration as part of the disclosure of its nuclear activities, the Washington Post wrote.

The above mentioned declaration which will most likely take place by the end of the year is part of a deal between North Korea and China, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United States. The deal was reached last month when Pyongyang pledged to disable its Soviet-era nuclear facilities in exchange for aid and an end to its international isolation.

If North Korea fulfils its pledge and by the end of 2007 manages to disable its three key nuclear plants, provides a list of its nuclear arms activity, accounts for all its fissile material and answers qualms that it has a uranium enrichment program for weapons, then the Asian country will get in exchange 1 million tones of heavy fuel oil or equivalent aid.