4th draft could lead to agreement - Hill
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-09-14 11:36

Chief US negotiator Christopher Hill said in Beijing Wednesday it is possible to reach an agreement for the six-party talks on Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, but the detailed differences remain ahead.

"We consider the fourth draft to be an very excellent basis for reaching the goals of principles that will guide us to the eventual agreement," said Hill when he left his hotel.

The six parties, China, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the United States, Republic of Korea (ROK), Russia and Japan, reconvened the second phase of the fourth round on Tuesday, fixing on "substantial discussion" Wednesday.

The fourth draft of a common document proposed by China during the first phase meeting starting late July remained the focus of the talks. While all parties consider it a good basis for agreement.

"Though we don't have any strong problems with the fourth draft, how the DPRK react to the fourth draft is something we have to see today," said Hill.

"That's why we consider it's an important day," said Hill. "We both reiterated our desire to reach an agreement in the session, but the devil would be the detail."

According to Hill, the US delegation is scheduled to hold one-on-one contact separately with Japan, Russia, the ROK and DPRKon the second day of the talks.

The stumbling block was whether Pyongyang be allowed for the right to have a civilian nuclear program. The DPRK insisted on the right while the United States wanted full dismantlement of its nuclear program. The five-week recess seems unable to soften their stances.

"The DPRK has the right on peaceful nuclear activity. This right is neither awarded nor needs to be approved by others," the DPRK delegation head Kim Gye-gwan told Xinhua in Pyongyang on Tuesday before traveling to Beijing for the talks.

"We have this right, and the more important thing is that we should use this right," Kim stressed, adding that "if the United States tries to set obstacle to the DPRK's using this right, we can utterly not accept that."

China chaired a chief delegates' meeting in the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse on Tuesday afternoon, indicating the formal restart of the talks.

While addressing the plenary meeting, Chinese delegation chief Wu Dawei urged the parties concerned to seek a balanced and win-win solution through flexible, pragmatic and constructive consultations so that the talks can make progress.

The first three rounds of six-party talks ended inconclusively.The fourth round began in late July and then went into 5-week recess.