North Korean chief nuclear envoy Kim Kye-gwan arrived in Beijing
on Tuesday, to continue further negotiations on the Korean
Peninsula nuclear issue.
Kim is reported to meet with parties relevant to the Korean
Peninsula nuclear issue, including Chinese senior diplomats and his
US counterpart Christopher Hill, who is expected to arrive in
Beijing later on Tuesday.
Hill, the assistant secretary of state for East Asian affairs,
is due to hold bilateral contacts with Chinese officials in Beijing
from Wednesday regarding international efforts to disable North
Korea's existing nuclear facilities, according to the State
Department.
However, the possible meeting between North Korea and the US,
which comes shortly before the start of work to disable the three
key nuclear facilities in North Korea's Yongbyon complex from later
this week, has not been confirmed yet.
North Korea reconfirmed on Monday to start disablement of
nuclear facilities from November 1 and faithfully implement its
second-phase denuclearization measures under the February
agreement, according to an official from South Korea who leads
negotiations for the working-level talks on energy assistance.
Under an October joint document, North Korea agreed to disable
its existing nuclear facilities and provide a declaration of all
its nuclear programs by the end of this year.
The document also said North Korea and the US remain committed
to improving their bilateral relations and moving towards a full
diplomatic relationship. The six-party talks, initiated in 2003, involve
China, North and South Korea, the US, Russia and Japan.
(Xinhua News Agency October 30, 2007)
