Special Report: The sixth round of six-party talks     

    MOSCOW, April 10 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will soon deliver a declaration on nuclear disarmament to Beijing, its Ambassador to Russia Kim Yong-jae said on Thursday.

    "Pyongyang will shortly hand over to Beijing a declaration on the implementation of its commitments on nuclear disarmament, and China will begin coordinating the terms of a new round of six-way talks," Kim Yong-jae was quoted by the Itar-Tass news agency as saying.

    The main issue is "how the United States will be fulfilling its commitments," the ambassador spoke at a meeting at the embassy devoted to the 95th birthday of late DPRK President Kim Il Sung.

    The DPRK had settled the issue of U.S. suspicions that the DPRK was enriching uranium as well as cooperating with Syria in the nuclear sphere, he said, adding that this had not happened and would not happen in the future.

    The DPRK, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Russia, the United States, China and Japan take part in the six-way talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill met with the DPRK's Vice Foreign Minister Kim KyeGwan on Tuesday in Singapore. Hill said that this meeting had moved the process forward to resolve the disarmament impasse.

China says conditions "maturing" for six-party DPRK nuclear talks

    BEIJING, April 10 (Xinhua) -- China said on Thursday that conditions for holding a new round of meetings among the chief negotiators to the six-party nuclear talks were maturing, with all parties being positive toward the meeting.

    Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu made these comments in response to a media question about the talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue. The talks are hosted by China and include the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the United States, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Japan and Russia.

    Jiang said that China would maintain contact and coordination with the relevant parties and commit itself to push ahead the process and implement the stated commitments.

    Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei met with the heads of the five other parties on Wednesday and all agreed to advance the talks as soon as possible, she said. Full story

U.S. to continue efforts for DPRK nuclear disarmament

    WASHINGTON, April 10 (Xinhua) -- The United States will continue its efforts with countries concerned to realize nuclear disarmament of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the State Department said Thursday.

    "We are prepared, along with the other four members of the six-party talks, to fulfill our obligations as North Korea fulfills its obligation, which includes disabling of the Yongbyon facility, as well as a declaration" of all its nuclear programs, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.

    On the latest talks between U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill and the DPRK's Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-Gwan in Singapore and Beijing, McCormack said "There's work that remains to be done."

    The spokesman also noted that Hill's meeting with Kim "is not between the U.S. and North Korea." "We are engaging them in the context of the six-party talks." Full story