Japan welcomes next round of six-party talks
25/11/2008 16:52
Japanese Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone today welcomed plans to hold
the next round of six-party talks from Dec. 8. in Beijing.
"Japan has no
objection to that (schedule) and we think it's fine," Nakasone told reporters,
adding that Japan's expectation is to put in writing a verbal agreement on
verification methods, including the collection of samples, reached between the
United States and Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
US Secretary
of State Condoleezza Rice said Sunday the next round of six-way nuclear talks
will be held Dec. 8 in China.
The talks involving DPRK and South Korea,
China, Japan, Russia and the United States have been stalled since the chief
envoys last met in Beijing in July.
The second phase of the talks obliges
DPRK to disable its nuclear facilities and declare all its nuclear programs. In
the third phase, it must give up all its fissile material.
DPRK and the
United States have been differing over the verification mechanism. DPRK official
media yesterday repeated the country's rejection of sampling at its nuclear
facilities to verify information, saying the October deal with the United States
includes no content referring to this mechanism.
Xinhua
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