Russia hopes that the fourth round of six-party talks on the
Korean Peninsula nuclear issue in Beijing will yield results,
Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alexeyev said in Moscow
yesterday.??
"The six-party talks are continuing. We hope that they will
yield results," he was quoted by the Itar-Tass News Agency as
saying.
Over the past few days, China and other participants in the
talks tried their best to achieve progress, and "there are chances
for their successful completion," the Russian diplomat said.
Earlier, Alexeyev said he believed that the ongoing six-party
negotiations, the longest round, will wind up later this week.
Alexeyev said it is premature to talk about results, as the
six-party talks are continuing. "We are expecting the talks to last
some more days," he said.
He said the six parties, including China, the US, Russia, Japan,
North and South Korea, are making efforts to come up with a joint
document despite some disagreements.
"We hope that we'll be able to agree on a final document,"
Alexeyev said.
Russia stands for an extension of security guarantees to
Pyongyang, which Moscow believes is important for resolving the
nuclear issue, and is ready to participate in realizing such
guarantees both on bilateral and multilateral basis, the official
said.
The fourth round of six-party talks, initiated in 2003 to seek
ways for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, resumed in
Beijing last Tuesday.
(Xinhua News Agency August 4, 2005)