With the arrival of all the five foreign delegations, the fourth-round six-party talks will resume in Beijing later Tuesday after diplomatic mediation among all sides during a five-week recess.

 

"I must tell you their (North Korea) position does seem to be evolving a little, and we will have a much better idea about it tonight or tomorrow," said US chief negotiator Christopher Hill upon his arrival earlier Tuesday.

 

"I know we have had two discussions within the New York channel, and I can't say really there has been progress," he said. "We will have a better idea about what the North Korea position is."

 

Hill and his delegation came by the same plane with the South Korean delegation, which is headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Song Min-soon.

 

"If the parties concerned do not soften their stances, it will be hard to achieve any progress" during the negotiation, Song said. "As far as the prospect is concerned, I am neither optimistic nor pessimistic."

 

The ongoing round of the six-party talks, involving China, North Korea, US, South Korea, Russia and Japan, headed into a recess on August 7 after failing to reach a common document during 13 days of discussions in Beijing.

 

According to sources, there would be several one-on-one consultations Tuesday afternoon before the six chief negotiators hold their first group discussion in the second phase of the talks at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in downtown Beijing, the same venue for the first phase.

 

One sticking point in the upcoming discussions lies in the gap between US and North Korea: whether North Korea should dismantle its nuclear program before receiving aid, guarantees and recognition, or whether the US concessions should come first, or they act at the same time.

 

The talks will be open-ended since all the parties concerned need to make full consultations on issues concerning how to realize denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang.

 

As the host, China will give all other five parties a welcoming banquet Tuesday evening.

 

With the resumption of the talks, the press center has been put into use and more than 200 overseas journalists have signed up to cover the event.

 

(Xinhua News Agency September 13, 2005)