The White House says President Bush will not certify North Korea's compliance with a 1994 agreement to freeze its nuclear weapons program. 

White House spokesman Ari Fleischer told reporters Wednesday that Mr. Bush is specifically concerned with several issues, including North Korean exports of ballistic missiles. The spokesman said the President also wants North Korea to provide more access and information to international nuclear inspectors. 

Mr. Fleischer said the Bush administration is granting a waiver to North Korea, which means U.S. compliance with the 1994 agreement is unchanged. He said this means a delivery of 500,000 metric tons of fuel oil will go ahead as planned. 

Under the agreement, the North Koreans agreed to shut down one nuclear reactor and halt construction on two others in return for millions of tons of fuel oil and help in building safer, light-water nuclear reactors. 

The spokesman said light water reactor component parts are set to be delivered to North Korea in 2005. But he said international inspectors will first need at least three to four years to conduct their inspections - which he added means time is running out. 

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