Chief US nuclear negotiator Christopher Hill said on-site inspections of nuclear facilities in North Korea should start as early as by the end of this year.

The assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs said in an interview with media, inspections will be launched once chief delegates to the six-party talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear drive approve a recent US-North Korea accord on how to check information Pyongyang provides about its nuclear activities.

A six-way heads-of-delegation meeting is expected by the middle of November. The multilateral talks involve North and South Korea, the United States, China, Japan and Russia.

Hill said that once the US-North Korea deal is approved, personnel from the five dialogue partners with North Korea will visit the reclusive country to start inspecting nuclear facilities.

He welcomed moves by such countries as Australia and New Zealand offering energy assistance to North Korea along with South Korea, the United States, China and Russia.

Japan's position is not to participate in energy assistance until progress is made on the long-standing issue of North Korea's abductions of Japanese nationals.

Hill said Japan's position is respected by other six-party members.

Energy assistance is to be provided in return for North Korea's declaration of its nuclear programs made earlier this year and disablement of its nuclear facilities in Yongbyon, which has recently been resumed.

Hill said North Korea has shown interest in the Nunn-Lugar program the United States launched in 1991 to prevent nuclear arms in the former Soviet Union from falling into the wrong hands, and that its application to North Korea will be discussed during future denuclearisation talks.