Delegations from China, Russia, the United States, the Democratic
People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the Republic of Korea (ROK) and
Japan began the six-party talks on the Korean nuclear issue in
Beijing Wednesday morning.
Delegations from the six countries entered a conference room
around nine o'clock at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in western
Beijing.
The six delegations took their seats at a hexagonal negotiation
table in alphabetic order.
The six-party talks, another multilateral diplomatic endeavor
for a peaceful solution of the Korean nuclear issue after the
trilateral talks between China, the DPRK and the United States in
April in Beijing, are scheduled to last three days.
A source said on condition of anonymity that each of the six
nations will express its stand at the first day of the talks.
Prior to the six-party talks, the Chinese delegation consulted
with various delegations.
Heads of the delegations to the talks are Wang Yi, Chinese
vice-foreign minister, Kim Yong Il, DPRK deputy foreign minister,
JamesKelly, 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.
(Xinhua News Agency August 27, 2003)
