Russia and the United States will discuss the nuclear issue in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in Washington in November, a senior Russian diplomat said Monday.

Russia hopes "the United States will give a more detailed account of its idea" on how to settle the situation on the Korean Peninsula, the Interfax quoted Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov, who will lead the Russian delegation in the talks, as saying.

"It will help us before the second round of six-party talks," he said.

Losyukov urged all parties concerned to concentrate on the preparations of the six-party talks at present.

"A result acceptable to everyone... cannot be achieved immediately, even during the second round of the negotiations," he said.

"The parties should make intermediate synchronized steps. The second round should focus on the discussion of such steps," he noted.

Last Saturday, Losyukov suggested that the second round of six-party talks could be held in January next year, noting there was no urgent need to convene it within this year.

Last Thursday, DPRK top leader Kim Jong Il and visiting Chinese top legislator Wu Bangguo agreed in principal to continue the six-party talks on the DPRK's nuclear issue.

The agreement was reached after the DPRK expressed its willingness to consider US President George W. Bush's recent proposition to offer written security assurance in order to solve the nuclear issue.

The DPRK, the United States, China, Russia, South Korea and Japan held six-nation talks in August, but no agreement was reached on the date for the next round of such talks.

(Xinhua News Agency November 4, 2003)