Deputy chief negotiators to the fourth round of six-party talks
"earnestly" had discussion on the joint document, and reached
consensus on part of the document, Cho Tai-yong, deputy head of the
South Korean delegation, said yesterday after a meeting with his
counterparts.??
He said the meeting for the deputy chief negotiators started at
3:00 PM and lasted for three and a half hours "without rest." All
parties discussed the joint document presented by the Chinese side,
and continued the discussions by putting easy issues first and
difficult ones later. They worked out part of the joint document,
still leaving some divergent points that need further consultation.
Based on this, the Chinese side will present a new joint document
draft for further discussion.
The meeting did not proceed smoothly yet was constructive, the
official said, adding all parties will make "persistent" efforts to
forge a joint document.
The official also revealed that bilateral consultations for
delegation heads will be held on Tuesday after two days' deputy
heads meeting.
The talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue inched into the
seventh day on Monday. Insiders said chief negotiators from the six
parties had frequent shuttle contacts for in-depth discussions.
(Xinhua News Agency August 2, 2005)