The five permanent members of the UN Security Council, along with Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK), met on Monday afternoon to continue discussion about a possible resolution on the recent nuclear test by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

The close-door discussion, held around 12:30 EDT and last for about one and a half hours, involved ambassadors from Britain, France, China, Russia and the United States, as well as their counterparts from Japan and the ROK.

U.S. Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice told reporters after the talks that they are "making progress" on discussion.

"Hopeful that in due course we will be producing a very worthy and strong resolution," Rice said.

In response to when the resolution will be presented, Japanese Ambassador Yukio Takasu said: "It has not decided yet." Other representatives hurried away without speaking to the media.

Monday's meeting conducted amid a flurry of discussions held here in the UN headquarters following the DPRK's nuclear test on May 25, which Pyongyang said has demonstrated its "self-defensive nuclear deterrent."

The Security Council voiced "the strong opposition to and the condemnation of" the DPRK nuclear test later on May 25, vowing to prepare a strong response to Pyongyang.

The five permanent members, Japan and the ROK started talks on the text of a draft resolution last Thursday.

Besides the ongoing negotiations at the New York UN headquarters, other diplomatic efforts are also underway.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Jim Steinberg is leading a U.S. delegation to Asia to consult regional players on how to address concerns on the latest crisis.

Following his visit to Tokyo on Sunday and Monday, Steinberg will visit Beijing this week, together with U.S. envoy to the six-party talks Stephen Bosworth. The trip will also take him to Seoul and Moscow.

The DPRK has been under UN sanctions that prevent the nation from nuclear and ballistic activity since its first atomic test in2006. An April 5 rocket launch, which the DPRK said put a satellite into orbit, prompted the Security Council to adopt a presidential statement to condemn the launch and tighten the sanctions.

The six-party talks, a multilateral mechanism launched in 2003 aiming at denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, include China, the DPRK, the United States, South Korea, Russia and Japan.

(Xinhua News Agency June 2, 2009)