Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losiukov said in Beijing Tuesday that the most important task of the involved parties at present is to ensure that the process of the six-party talks be held and continued till the end.  

He told local media in Beijing that the six parties should maintain the continuity of the talks on the nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula and create a favorable working atmosphere for seeking a compromise on the issue through negotiations.

He said in an interview with China Radio International (CRI) that the relevant parties have fully recognized the importance of the talks and believe it will be the most effective way to solve the nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula and realize normalization of relations among the relevant parties.

The Russian side believes that the existing problems and those to emerge in the process of the talks cannot be solved in one or two days or through just a few rounds of talks, Losiukov said.

However, he said, if all relevant parties adopted an attitude of mutual compromise and concession during the talks, there would be every possibility that a universally acceptable agreement will be reached.

Noting that all relevant parties have expressed their wish that the second round of six-party talks would achieve progress, Losiukov said this made Russia reasonably optimistic about the results of the talks.

On the stances of Russia and China in the talks, Losiukov said both countries share the same principled stance on solving the nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula. He had reaffirmed during a pre-talk consultation with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on Monday that both sides agree that the issue can be resolved through dialogues, Losiukov said.

The Russian delegation held consultations with delegations from Japan, the United States and the Democratic Republic of Korea (DPRK) Tuesday. Russia will also hold consultation with the delegation of the Republic of Korea in Beijing before the six-party talks begin Wednesday.

(Xinhua News Agency February 25, 2004)