A senior North Korean diplomat will be allowed visa to visit the U.S later this month. According to official sources, the diplomat, Mr. Ri Gun, is the deputy negotiator in stalled talks on North Korea's nuclear programme. Mr. Ri Gun is also expected to discuss the nuclear issue in an informal meeting with a senior U.S counterpart.<br/><br/>Kim Myong Gil, a Minister at North Korea's U.N mission told newsmen that Mr. Ri would attend a private security forum in California.<br/><br/>Earlier this month North Korea said it was willing to return to multi-party negotiations on its nuclear programme but it has said that it wants direct negotiations with the US first. The US has said it is willing to engage directly with North Korea, but only as part of a return to six-party forum party talks that Pyongyang pulled out of in April. The six-party talks involve the two Koreas, China, the US, Russia and Japan.