After half a year of shuttle diplomacy, envoys from six states seeking to resolve the Korean nuclear issue opened talks in Beijing Wednesday morning.  

The delegates from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the United States, China, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Russia and Japan, took their places at a hexagonal table and one after the other outlined their positions.

In the opening remarks, China's Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi said: "All sides now expect to discuss concrete problems and score concrete results in the second round of talks, and the current round of talks will discuss detailed goals, the first-phase measures for resolving the nuclear issue and study ways to continue the talks process."

US Assistant Secretary of State and the US delegation Head James Kelly reiterated that the United States has "no intention" to attack the DPRK, while DPRK top negotiator Kim Kye-gwan described the talks as "an important opportunity" for progress.

US President George W. Bush said last fall that the United States and other parties concerned will provide security guarantee to the DPRK and has no intention to invade or attack the DPRK, Kelly said, adding that it is still the policy of the United States.

"The United States seeks complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement of all North Korea (DPRK)'s nuclear programs, both plutonium and uranium," Kelly added.

DPRK's Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan said the second round of talks will chart the course for resolving the nuclear issue in the future. To this end, the DPRK will adhere to principles while showing flexibility in the six-party talks.

Kim hoped sincere efforts made by all sides can produce "a positive result" in the second round of talks.

"The relaunching of the six-party talks demonstrated the common aspiration of all sides to peacefully resolve the nuclear issue," he said.

"We hope that disagreement between each party can be narrowed as much as possible and the stalemate between North Korea (DPRK) and the United States can be resolved through dialogue."

Other involving countries also express their stance at the opening session.

Head of the ROK delegation, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Lee Soo-hyuck, called on all parties to adopt an earnest and tolerant attitude to expand their consensus to realize denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula.

Head of the Japanese delegation Mitoji Yabunaka said Japan is ready to make active contribution to achieving substantial progress of the talks, have conducive discussions with all relevant parties and welcome all proposals and opinions raised at the talks.

Head of the Russian delegation and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losiukov said the resolution of the nuclear issue will be a long-drawn process and entails compromise and patience from all sides, and the Russian side wants to reiterate that the ultimate goal of the talks is to guarantee peace, security and cooperation on the basis of a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula.

The first session ended early Wednesday afternoon with no immediate statement of progress.

(China Daily February 25, 2004)