Related report: Six-party talks - 3rd phase of 5th
round
BEIJING, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- An agreement on the first step toward the denuclearization of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) may come out on Tuesday as negotiations dragged into the sixth day.
"It is likely to see a joint document before Tuesday evening," Russian representative Alexander Losyukov said early Tuesday.
Losyukov said he supported China's draft as it gives a balanced consideration to the interests of all parties.
The draft, circulated on last Thursday, reportedly proposes halting within two months the work at nuclear sites in the DPRK, including the Yongbyon reactor, and supplying Pyongyang with alternative energy sources.
Chief Japanese negotiator Kenichiro Sasae said Tuesday morning that the China draft is a "good text," suggesting Japan's readiness to accept it.
"To reach an accord, it would be the key that the DPRK would take a forward-looking attitude," Sasae said.
A new deal was said to emerge after a marathon 16-hour negotiations till 2 o'clock Tuesday morning.
The U.S. envoy to the talks, Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, said Tuesday morning the tentative deal had been approved by the U.S. government.
"We've approved it, to the best of my knowledge we've approved it," Hill said, adding the DPRK had seen the same text.
Asked if he hopes the DPRK will come back with a good answer on the draft presented by host China, Hill said, ''I hope so.''
The current phase of six-nation talks began last Thursday on a promising note after the DPRK and the United States showed a compromise in a landmark meeting in Berlin in January.
Chief negotiators had an-hour-long group meeting Tuesday morning in the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, according to the press center.
An announcement might follow a plenary session Tuesday afternoon.
Related:
Envoys make overnight efforts for deal when talks
dragged into another day
BEIJING, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- The envoys of the six
parties involved in the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue worked overnight in a bid
to clinch a possible deal, but no agreements announced yet.
Envoys make final efforts for deal on fifth day of
six-party talks, no breakthrough
BEIJING, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- The six parties involved
in the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue on Monday made their final attempt to
clinch a deal, but no breakthrough was announced till late night.
The talks entered the fifth day on Monday with energy
aid still as the focus of negotiations.
ROK delegation official: joint document likely to be
adpoted Tuesday
BEIJING, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- An official with
delegation of the Republic of Korea (ROK) to the six-party talks said that a
joint document is likely to be adopted on Tuesday.
According to the official, who speaks only on
anonymity, the negotiation on the document has "reached the final
phase".
