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All the six parties to the fourth round of the Korean nuclear talks agreed to take a recess and resume the talks in the week beginning August 29, China's chief negotiator Wu Dawei said in a chairman's statement read at a press conference on Sunday morning.
All the six delegations decided to have a brief recess so that they can go back to report to their respective governments, study further each other's positions and resolve differences that still exist.
"The specific date of when the talks would resume is yet to be set," Wu said.
During the break, all the parties will keep contact and continue consultations, according to Wu.
He said following a chief delegates' meeting the general goal of the six-nation talks is to achieve the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner.
"This is the consensus reached by the six delegations," said Wu, also vice foreign minister.
Since the fourth round of talks began 13 days ago, the six parties have been working on a roadmap for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
"If we are climbing a mountain, we've already seen the peak of it. Now we decide to take a recess so that we can reach the peak more smoothly," Wu said, adding "This is a positive outcome of the first phase of the current round of talks."
Wu said he did not think a three-week break would dampen the momentum of the current round of talks.
He said the six nations have reached a lot of consensuses during the first phase of the current round of talks on the basis of the previous three rounds.
"Doubtless, there are still differences in some important issues among the delegations," Wu said. "But the fact that they agreed to resume the talks three weeks later demonstrates we do not fear the differences."
Wu said, "Whether or not a common document will come into being does not necessarily be considered an indicator to measure whether the talks is a success or a failure."
The basic principle of the six-way talks is to reach consensus through consultations, Wu said. That is to say, "All the delegations should reach agreement on all issues involved, and any side of the six has a veto," added Wu.
"Concerns of any of the six should be those of all parties. Only when we resolve all concerns of the six parties can we reach an agreement." This increases the difficulties for us to reach consensus, Wu added.
He also expressed the belief that the six parties would one day reach an agreement on the common document for the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue.
Wu told the press conference he could not say for sure when the six parties would reach the agreement.
"I can neither ensure the six parties will reach the agreement after the fourth round of talks resumes" later this month.
"But I believe that one day they will eventually reach the agreement."
In response to the question of including abduction issue into the six-party talks, which was raised by a Japanese reporter at yesterday's press conference, Wu said the six-party talks focus on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and other issues could be resolved through other channels.
This is the consistent stance of the Chinese side, which has also been respected and understood by the Japanese side.
The first phase of the fourth round of six-party talks was held in Beijing from July 26 to August 7, involving China, the US, Japan, Russia, South and North Korea.
According to Wu, the six parties, in the spirit of mutual respect and equality, held serious practical and in-depth discussions and consultations in a good atmosphere on the goal of the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, which led to better mutual understanding, broader common ground and positive progress.
North Korean chief negotiator Kim Kye-gwan said Sunday that the US must change its position on requiring his country to abandon all its nuclear programs.
It's the key to the success of the next-stage six-party talks, Kim said at a press conference in the North Korean Embassy in Beijing after the six parties agreed to have a three-week recess.
The first stage of the fourth round of six-party talks laid a foundation for progress in the next stage, and delegates reached a consensus on the goal of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula and reaffirmed the principle of "word for word, action for action," Kim said.
He ascribed the failure to issue a common document mainly to the "major differences" between North Korea and the US on the definition of denuclearization.
North Korea does not want to give up its right to use nuclear power peacefully while the US "attempted to keep the North from the right," he said.
The denuclearization cannot be realized by North Korea alone, and the US and South Korea should also take actions, said Kim, also vice foreign minister.
He added that his country is ready for more bilateral contacts and hoped the US could change its position on requiring North Korea to abandon all its nuclear programs, including peaceful use of nuclear energy.
Kim said it's very important for the US to remove its nuclear threat against the North, which has prompted it to develop nuclear weapons.
He urged the US to dismantle the nuclear weapons in South Korea and agree to receive verification.
US chief delegate Christopher Hill said Saturday night that the US government is absolutely dedicated to finding a solution to the Korean nuclear issue, although it is not easy.
"We tried very hard to reach an agreement and we have great political will to resolve the issue," he said.
He noted that what all the parties have tried to do is to reduce the differences and to understand with great precision what those differences are.
The six-party talks are considered a diplomatic mechanism to seek ways to resolve the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue in a peaceful manner.
The previous three rounds of talks were held since 2003, also hosted by China at Diaoyutai, a quiet compound occupied by villas and lakes in the Chinese capital, but no substantial progress was made.
The reopening of the talks, after a 13-month-long impasse, has rekindled the hope for a breakthrough in the nuclear dismantlement deadlock.
(Xinhua News Agency August 8, 2005)
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