US chief negotiator Christopher Hill said Tuesday morning that the US and North Korea were "not able to bridge any differences" in yesterday's one-on-one talks.

It was still very difficult for the US and North Korea to reach mutual understanding even though there was "no problem" for the two to talk, Hill told reporters when he left the hotel for bilateral talks with the Chinese delegation.

"A lot of differences" still remained between North Korea and the other participants of the six-party talks, he added.

On the draft common document, which is currently being discussed by the six parties, Hill said the second draft "clearly" reflected each side's comments and was "better" than the first one.

Hill said he believed a solution would be gradually reached through the discussion of the draft.

He also promised that the US would remain committed to talks and try to find a solution with the joint efforts of the other parties.

Participants in the fourth round of six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue will hold a plenary session this morning at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, according to Hill.

This round of talks that groups China, the US, Russia, Japan, South and North Korea inched into its eighth day today, and it is still hard to say when it will close.

A 3.5-hour deputy chief negotiators' session for the talks was held yesterday afternoon, at which no concrete result was achieved, according to the press center with the Chinese delegation.

The Russian delegation yesterday denied major differences in the ongoing negotiation and said the talks did not reach an impasse.

(Xinhua News Agency August 2, 2005)