Wen to meet DPRK Premier on bilateral, international issues

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said Friday that he would have in-depth discussions with Premier of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Yong Il soon in Beijing.

"DPRK is a friendly neighbor of China. China and the DPRK enjoy traditional friendship," Wen told a press conference after the National People's Congress closed its annual session.

"We (Wen and Kim) will fully exchange our views on how to further bilateral friendship and cooperation and issues of common concern concerning regional and international affairs," Wen said.

Kim will visit China from March 17 to 21 at the invitation of Wen. This will be his first visit to China since assuming office in April 2007.

On the Korean Peninsula situation, Wen said he believed the pressing task is to advance the six-party talks, find solutions to the key problems that hold back the negotiation process and realize the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

"Only so, can the security and stability on the peninsula be secured and the security and stability on the northeast Asia be secured," Wen said.

Wen urged the countries involved in the talks to increase consensus and properly handle differences and refrain from doing anything that might escalate the situation.

The Chinese government will consult with all parties and push the six-party talks to proceed on the sound track.

The six-party talks, involving the DPRK, the United States, the Republic of Korea, China, Japan and Russia, has been focusing on the settlement of nuclear issues on the Korean Peninsula and was started in August 2003.

The latest round of the talks ended in early December last year with no agreement on nuclear verification due to differences between the DPRK and the United States.