The six delegations attending the six-party talks in Beijing comprehensively expounded their principled stance and proposals on resolving the Korean nuclear issue Wednesday, according to China's Foreign Ministry.

The talks began Wednesday morning among China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the United States, Russia, the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Japan at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in west Beijing.

Heads of the delegations to the talks were Wang Yi, Chinese vice-foreign minister, Kim Yong Il, DPRK deputy foreign minister, James Kelly, assistant US secretary of state for east Asian and Pacific affairs, Alexander Losiukov, Russian deputy foreign minister, Lee Soo-Hyuck, ROK deputy minister of foreign affairs and trade, and Mitoji Yabunaka, director-general for Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau of the Foreign Ministry of Japan.

China would spare no efforts to ensure the six-party talks proceed smoothly, said Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Wang Yi in his opening speech.

Wang said the six-party talks were not only the continuation and expansion of the trilateral talks held last April in Beijing, but also a new start.

The objective of the talks was to peacefully resolve the Korean nuclear issue through dialogue, the vice-minister said.

The DPRK, the United States, the ROK, Russia and Japan thanked China once again for its role in making the talks a reality, expecting that the dialogue would help dissolve suspicion and establish trust through dialogue, and resolve the Korean nuclear issue peacefully.

The six-party talks offered a rare opportunity for peace in northeast Asia. And the participants pledged to make due contributions for advancing the talks.
 
(Xinhua News Agency August 28, 2003)