Chief negotiators to the six-party talks held discussions on the joint agreement during their third meeting on Friday afternoon, Chinese delegation spokesman Liu Jianchao said.

All parties concerned made frequent one-on-one consultations on the fourth day of the talks on Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, continuing to seek solution to current difference, Liu said.

The six parties, China, North Korea, US, South Korea, Russia and Japan, reopened the fourth round of talks in Beijing Tuesday after a five-week recess.

The first three rounds of six-party talks ended inconclusively. The fourth round began in late July and then went into five-week recess on August 7.

(Xinhua News Agency September 16, 2005)