Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing said in Beijing Saturday at the closing ceremony of the second round of six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue that consensus had been reached on setting up a working group and the next round of talks.

The consensus "is of great importance in pushing forward the process of dialogue," he said in a speech at the end of three and half days of talks at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse.

The importance of the second-round talks was that the six delegations held substantial dialogue and made "a big step forward " toward the realization of the final goal of a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula, said Li.

"Profound and constructive" discussions were held at the second round of talks and the six sides put forward "valuable suggestions " with their "wisdom" and "reason", said the Chinese foreign minister.

He said severe disagreements among different sides still existed because of historical and other factors, and "cannot be fundamentally resolved through one or two rounds of talks."

He hoped that relevant sides would take a "constructive attitude" and gradually narrow the differences and expand the common ground.

A press conference is scheduled to be held soon by Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Wang Yi, head of the Chinese delegation to the talks.

Delegates of the United States, China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the Republic of Korea, Russia and Japan began the second round of talks on Wednesday. The first round of talks was held in the Chinese capital last August.