UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan expected substantive progress in the six-party talks being held in Beijing, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said yesterday.??

In a statement issued by the spokesperson, Annan warmly welcomed the resumption of six-party talks, saying he has written to the foreign ministers of North Korea, the US and the four other participants in the talks, to commend them for breaking the impasse and for creating the current positive momentum.

 

"The secretary-general hopes that the resumed session will achieve substantive progress toward a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula that is stable, secure and prosperous," Dujarric said.

 

According to the spokesperson, Annan maintained that a negotiated solution based on dialogue and goodwill is the right way to achieve these goals.

 

"The secretary-general will continue to work closely with the parties on this challenging set of issues," Dujarric noted.

 

(Xinhua News Agency July 27, 2005)