Kim promises to push forward talks
(China Daily)
Updated: 2006-01-19 06:24

Kim Jong-il, the top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), pledged to push forward nuclear talks during his China trip, which was confirmed Wednesday after a week of media speculation.

At a summit with President Hu Jintao, Kim said his country "will stick to the goal of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and fulfil the joint statement issued in the fourth round of Six-Party Talks."

"The DPRK's stance on promoting Six-Party Talks remains unchanged," Kim was quoted by Xinhua as saying.

He said the DPRK is willing to work with China to overcome difficulties in the talks.

Kim's trip coincides with negotiators launching a flurry of diplomatic contacts to revive the Six-Party Talks, which began in 2003.

The other participants in the talks are the United States, the Republic of Korea, Japan and Russia.

The US envoy on the DPRK's nuclear programmes, Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, met Chinese officials yesterday amid reports that he also had a meeting with his DPRK counterpart to revive the disarmament talks. Hill said no date has been set for resuming the talks.

Pyongyang agreed in September to give up its nuclear programme in exchange for aid and security assurances. But discussions have stalled since November after Washington imposed sanctions on the DPRK for alleged counterfeiting and other government-directed wrongdoing.