Japanese Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said Saturday that the agreements reached at the six-party talks demonstrate the common goal of the concerned parties to achieve the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

"It was significant that the six nations confirmed their common goal of trying to achieve the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," Fukuda said in a statement.

Japan will consistently exert efforts to find a peaceful solution to the nuclear problem, he said.

Delegates from China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the United States, South Korea, Japan and Russia wrapped up the second round of six-party talks on the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula on Saturday in Beijing.

They expressed their commitment to a "nuclear-weapon-free" Korean Peninsula, according to the Chairman's Statement released after the talks.

All parties agreed to take coordinated steps to address the nuclear issue and address the related concerns.

They also agreed to set up a working group in preparation for the next plenary session, scheduled in Beijing "no later than the end of second quarter of 2004," according to the Chairman's Statement.

Fukuda noted Japan will continue to seek an early bilateral governmental meeting with the DPRK on mutual concerns, including the issue of abducted Japanese.