The six-party talks on the nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula has so far made achievements in three aspects, said Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing Tuesday in an interview prior to the third round of the six-party talks.?

 

Firstly, the talks had defined the goal of establishing a nuclear-weapon-free Korean Peninsula, said Wang, head of Chinese delegation for the third round of the six-party talks, scheduled to begin Wednesday.

 

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) explicitly expressed its intention to abandon the nuclear programs and set forth the freezing of the nuclear program as the first step, while other parties promised to address the DPRK's rational concern, noted Wang.

 

Secondly, a mechanism of six-party talks was instituted, through which the issue would be resolved by peaceful dialogues, Wang acknowledged, the working group was launched and substantial issues were put under discussion, which would steadily deepen the process of peaceful talks.

 

Thirdly, the six-party talks had defined the ways of settling the nuclear issue with all parties agreeing to take "coordinated steps" to address the nuclear issue and related concerns in a manner of "verbal commitment" and "action for action", said Wang.

 

(Xinhua News Agency June 23, 2004)