The fourth round of six-party talks should resume the week of September 12 and, as for the specific date, the Chinese side still needs to coordinate with the relevant parties, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday.

 

Qin Gang said at yesterday's regular press conference that all concerned parties would continue consultation and discussion on the related issues during the upcoming second phase of the fourth-round six-party talks.

 

The fourth round of the Korean nuclear talks that started on July 26 and broke for a recess on August 7 failed to resume as scheduled in the week of August 29. But North Korea has since agreed to rejoin the second phase of talks.

 

Qin said the parties concerned have continued with intense and frequent consultations and dialogue during the recess.

 

"Now all the relevant parties are working to specify the starting date of the second phase of talks," he said, hoping that during the talks, all parties would work toward realizing denuclearization and safeguarding peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, show flexibility and narrow their differences, in a bid to attain progress in the six-party talks.

 

(Xinhua News Agency September 7, 2005)