Special Report: The sixth round of six-party talks

    PYONGYANG, June 23 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Saturday said talks with U.S. nuclear envoy Christopher Hill were productive, and vowed to start cooperation with Washington in a series of affairs including denuclearization and financial transaction.

    "The discussions of issues were comprehensive and productive," the official Korean Central News Agency quoted a Foreign Ministry spokesman as saying.

    Hill wrapped up his two-day surprise visit to the DPRK on Friday. His trip came after the resolution of a banking dispute that had held up progress of the six-party talks involving the United States, the DPRK, China, Japan, South Korea and Russia.

    The DPRK spokesman said both sides "discussed the ways of completely settling the issue of the de-frozen funds... and boosting cooperation in the field of financial transaction in the future."

    Also, both sides agreed to arrange a string of meetings including talks by six-party negotiation chief envoys in the first half of July and a meeting attended by foreign ministers of the six nations on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum slated for early August in the Philippines, he said.

    Hill is the first high-ranking U.S. negotiator to visit the country in nearly five years amid the latest U.S. efforts to solve the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula and restart the six-party talks. During the visit, he met with DPRK Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun and chief nuclear negotiator Kim Kye Gwan. 

    Before leaving Pyongyang, he also sounded positive about the visit.

    "It's ... a very good discussion and on the way forward and needs to move forward," said Hill, adding that "all aspects of the six-party talks process" were discussed during the talks.

Li Geun (front, L), director of DPRK Foreign Ministry's America Bureau, walks with Chief U.S. nuclear negotiator Christopher Hill (front, R) at the airport in Pyongyang, capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), June 21, 2007. Hill arrived here on Thursday in the latest U.S. effort to convince the DPRK to halt its nuclear weapons program. (Xinhua/Xia Yu Photo) Photo Gallery>>>