Diplomats from the United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) will meet in Washington this week to fine-tune their positions ahead of a fresh round of six-party talks on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s nuclear weapons program, an ROK Foreign Ministry official said in Seoul Tuesday. 

The allies will work towards a joint strategy Thursday, when ROK Assistant Foreign Minister Lee Soo-hyuck meets his Japanese counterpart Mitoji Yabunaka and US Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly.

The United States, Russia, China, Japan, the DPRK and the ROK had hoped to hold the talks this month, but no date has been set. A first round of discussions in Beijing took place in August.

Japan, the ROK and the United States are currently trying to draft an accord for the six nations to sign at the end of the next round, ROK Foreign Ministry has said.

Seoul believes it's important for the next round to produce a written agreement, upon which future pacts could be built.

Delegates from Japan, the ROK and the United States will also hold bilateral meetings scheduled today, an ROK Foreign Ministry official said.

Japan's Kyodo news agency has reported that it would likely have all six participants agree on a DPRK agreement to abandon its nuclear program and allow inspections, while the five other countries provide the DPRK with security guarantees.

(China Daily December 3, 2003)