Deputy chief negotiators to the fourth round of six-party talks "earnestly" had discussion on the joint document, and reached consensus on part of the document, Cho Tai-yong, deputy head of the South Korean delegation, said yesterday after a meeting with his counterparts.  

He said the meeting for the deputy chief negotiators started at 3:00 PM and lasted for three and a half hours "without rest." All parties discussed the joint document presented by the Chinese side, and continued the discussions by putting easy issues first and difficult ones later. They worked out part of the joint document, still leaving some divergent points that need further consultation. Based on this, the Chinese side will present a new joint document draft for further discussion.

The meeting did not proceed smoothly yet was constructive, the official said, adding all parties will make "persistent" efforts to forge a joint document.

The official also revealed that bilateral consultations for delegation heads will be held on Tuesday after two days' deputy heads meeting.

The talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue inched into the seventh day on Monday. Insiders said chief negotiators from the six parties had frequent shuttle contacts for in-depth discussions.

(Xinhua News Agency August 2, 2005)