The fourth round of six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, which has become the focus of world attention, is to open at 9:00 Tuesday morning at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing.

Heads of the six delegations, Wu Dawei of China, Kim Kye-gwan of North Korea, Christopher Hill of the US, Song Min-soon of South Korea, Alexander Alexeyev of Russia and Sasae Kenichiro of Japan, will address the opening ceremony, which will be televised live.

 

After the opening ceremony, closed-door meetings and bilateral talks will continue, during which substantial negotiations will be held on resolving the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue in a peaceful manner.

 

Since the conclusion of the last round of six-party talks, the dialogue process has been tortuous. After a 13-month standoff, the six nations finally all expressed their intention of resuming the talks.

 

Delegations from North and South Korea, the US, Russia and Japan have arrived in Beijing since last Friday. Over the past few days, they held a series of bilateral contacts and exchanged views on issues to be discussed during the imminent six-party talks. Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing held a welcome banquet in their honor Monday evening, at which the six delegations' heads gathered for the first time.

 

From 2003 to 2004, China, the US, Russia, Japan, North and South Korea held three rounds of six-party talks in Beijing. Differing from the former talks, this round has no timetable for a conclusion. In comparison with the latest round of talks, neither North Korea nor the US has changed their basic standpoints.

 

After he arrived in Beijing on Sunday, US Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill told reporters that the US is "very much committed" to the fourth round of six-party talks, and he wouldn't expect this to be the last set of negotiations.

 

North Korea urged the US to push forward the six-party talks toward the denuclearization of Korean Peninsula with active and sincere efforts.

 

More than 500 journalists from home and abroad are covering the event.

 

(Xinhua News Agency July 26, 2005)