US chief negotiator Christopher Hill said in Beijing Tuesday
morning that the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
(DPRK) were "not able to bridge any differences" in Monday's one-on-one talks.
It was still very difficult for the United States and the DPRK to reach
mutual understanding even though there was "no problem" for the two to talk,
Hill told reporters when he left the hotel for bilateral talks with the Chinese
delegation.
"A lot of differences" still remained between the DPRK and the other
participants of the six-party talks, he added.
On the draft common document, which is currently being discussed by the six
parties, Hill said the second draft "clearly" reflected each side's comments and
was "better" than the first one.
Hill said he believed a solution would be gradually reached through the
discussion of the draft.
He also promised that the United Stats would remain committed to talks and
try to find a solution with the joint efforts of the other parties.
Participants in the fourth round of the six-party talks on the Korean
Peninsula nuclear issue will hold a plenary session Tuesday morning at Diaoyutai
State Guesthouse, according to Hill.
This round of talks that groups China, the Democratic People's Republic of
Korea (DPRK), the United States, the Republic of Korea(ROK), Russia and Japan,
inched into the eighth day Tuesday, and it is still hard to say when it will
close.
A 3.5-hour deputy chief negotiators' session for the talks was held here
Monday afternoon, at which no concrete result was achieved, according to the
press center with the Chinese delegation.
The Russian delegation on Monday denied major differences in the ongoing
negotiation and said the talks did not reach an impasse.
"There were no major differences, nor did the talks come to a standstill,"
said V. Yermolov, deputy head of the Russian delegation.
However, according to Hill, US assistant secretary of state who heads the
American delegation, it was still a "tough task" for all the parties to reach a
consensus, and a lot of patience was needed.