WASHINGTON, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- The United States said on Thursday it hopes to make progress when the six-party talks aimed at dissolving the nuclear programs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) resume on Feb. 8.

    "We do believe we have a basis for making progress at this round," U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill said at a briefing.

    Hill noted that the United States has had extensive bilateral consultations with all of the six-party partners, including the talks with the DPRK in Berlin last month.

    "We will not achieve full denuclearization in February, but we hope to make a substantial start on this. As for whether we'll be successful, time will tell," Hill said.

    Hill stressed that the purpose of the six-party talks is "not so much to talk but rather to implement the September 2005 agreement."

    During the round of six-party talks in September 2005, the DPRK signed a statement agreeing to give up its nuclear weapons program in exchange for economic aid and security guarantees from the United States and other countries. However, the DPRK refused to return to the talks as a result of U.S. financial sanctions.

    Under pressure, the DPRK returned to the talks in December held in Beijing. However, the talks failed to make progress.

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China hopes upcoming 6-party talks to end in 3-4 days 

    BEIJING, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei, who is also China's chief negotiator to the six-party talks, said on Wednesday that he hopes the upcoming session of six-party talks will accomplish its mission within three to four days.

    Wu's remarks came after the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea ended their second-day of talks on financial issues.

Six-party talks on Korean nuclear issue to resume from Feb. 8

    BEIJING, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- The six-party talks on the Korean peninsular nuclear issue will be resumed in Beijing on Feb. 8, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman announced on Tuesday.

S Korea expects joint document adopted in six-party talks

    SEOUL, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- South Korean Foreign Minister Song Min-soon said Wednesday that his government expects a joint document to be adopted during the upcoming six-party talks.

U.S. hopes to make "substantial" progress in six-party talks

    WASHINGTON, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- The United States expressed hope on Tuesday that the six-party talks to be resumed on Feb. 8 will make "substantial" progress in trying to dismantle the nuclear program of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

DPRK: upcoming six-party talks to focus on implementation of 2005 agreement

    PYONGYANG, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- The next round of the six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue aims to initiate the implementation of an agreement signed in 2005, the chief negotiator of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) said on Wednesday.

    "I am satisfied with the results of the talks with the United States, Russia, China and South Korea on how to implement the Sept. 19 agreement," Kim Gye-gwan, head of the DPRK delegation to the six-party talks, told Xinhua at Pyongyang's Sun-an Airport.

U.S.-DPRK talks lay "solid basis" for future six-party talks

    WASHINGTON, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- A senior U.S. official said here on Monday that last week talks between officials of the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) have laid "solid basis" for progress at next six-party talks.