All participants in the Beijing six-party talks agree the meetings have been "beneficial'' and should be continued, said Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the conclusion of the three-day talks on the Korean nuclear issue.

Wang Yi

"There was progress despite differences during the three days of negotiations, but all sides agreed the meetings were beneficial,'' Wang, head of Chinese delegation, told reporters at yesterday's press briefing after the talks, which ended on Friday.

A six-point consensus was reached at the talks involving China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the United States, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Russia and Japan:

L the parties are all committed to resolving the nuclear issue peacefully through dialogue, maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and to bringing about a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula;

L the parties maintain that there should be a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula, while the parties have all become aware of the fact that there is a need to consider and address the concerns of DPRK in a wide range of areas, including its security concerns;

L the parties agree to explore an overall plan that is fair and reasonable in approach, aimed at producing a solution with phased in and synchronized, or parallel, stages of implementation, in principle;

L the parties agree not to say anything or take any action that may escalate tensions or aggravate the situation as long as such talks proceed;

L the parties agree that dialogue should continue to establish trust, reduce differences and broaden common ground;

L the parties agree that the six-party talks should continue, and the specific date and venue should be decided through diplomatic channels as soon as possible.

The heads of the delegations for the six-party talks in Beijing shake hands before the start of the three-day talks at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse August 27, 2003. They are (left to right) Mitoji Yabunaka, director general of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau of Japan's Foreign Ministry; James Kelly, United States assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs; DPRK Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Yong-il; Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Wang Yi; Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losiukov and Lee Soo-hyuck, ROK deputy minister of foreign affairs and trade.[newsphoto.com.cn]

Wang said the six-point consensus demonstrated the spirit of understanding and co-operation, and laid a solid and necessary foundation for the next round of talks.

It is reported that the next round of six-party talks will likely be held in two months but Wang did not give out an exact time or venue at Friday's briefing saying only that it should not be delayed for too long a time.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Friday that the DPRK put forward "a package of solutions'' to the nuclear issue during the six-party talks.

The solutions ask for the signing of a non-aggression treaty with the United States, the establishment of diplomatic relations with the United States, a guarantee of DPRK-Japan and inter-Korean economic co-operation, and the completion of light-water reactors, Xinhua news agency quoted KCNA as saying.

In return, the DPRK will not manufacture nuclear weapons and will allow inspections, see to the ultimate dismantlement of nuclear facilities and stop export of and experimentation with missiles, KCNA said.

"The United States said it had no intention to threaten the DPRK, to invade or attack it,'' said Wang, adding that the DPRK also expressed its willingness to peacefully coexist with the United States.

Wang said that there were real differences between the two parties, noting that the Korean nuclear issue has a very complicated historical background and the solution to it requires a process, most probably a difficult process.

"The most urgent matter at present is to keep the dialogue momentum and keep the Beijing-initiated process moving forward,'' said Wang.

He stressed that the DPRK has made its official stance clear in the talks: it is not the DPRK's objective to own nuclear weapons.

Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing talked with US Secretary of State Colin Powell via telephone on Friday, exchanging views on the six-party talks. Both the Chinese and US sides believe that the talks are beneficial to promotion of a peaceful solution of the Korean Peninsula nuclear question and should be continued.

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