EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said in Brussels Tuesday that the EU welcomes the convening of the fourth round of six-party talks in Beijing and hopes for "fruitful" results of this round of talks.  

"I'm pretty happy that the talks take place again in Beijing," said Solana at a press briefing prior to his trip to Laos for the ASEAN Regional Forum.

Solana said the talks showed that the negotiations on nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula "entered into a new phase", which he hoped would be a "fruitful phase."

Solana said he also hoped that a "possible solution" could be found in tackling the tricky issue at this round of talks, which restarted after a 13-month-long impasse.

The EU supports the talks and would continue to make its own contribution to the solution of the issue, he added.

Solana also said he would meet with North Korean Foreign Minister Paek Nam-sun on July 29 during the ASEAN Regional Forum.

The six nations, China, the US, Russia, Japan, South and North Korea, re-started talks on the Korean nuclear issue Tuesday in Beijing.

The EU is one of the biggest assistance provider to North Korea. The EU Commission said it has offered over 390 million euros (about US$468 million) in aid to the country since 1995.

(Xinhua News Agency July 28, 2005)