MOSCOW, Jan. 14 (Xinhuanet) -- Russian Deputy Foreign Minister
Alexander Losyukov said Wednesday that it is still too early to decide a
date for a second round of six-party talks on Korean nuclear issue.
"Chances for holding the negotiations in January are diminishing,"
Losyukov was quoted by Interfax news agency as saying.
Russia has positively valued the readiness of the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea (DPRK) to freeze its nuclear program inreturn for US
financial assistance, Losyukov said, stressing that discussions should
concern not only the freezing, but also an entire set of measures.
The DPRK's official Korean Central News Agency on Jan. 6 said that,
Pyongyang is set to refrain from the test and production of nuclear
weapons and stop even operating nuclear power industry fora peaceful
purpose as first-phase measures of its package solution, which was praised
by Losyukov as "an important and serious step."
"At present, the focus should be shifted to the final written
document for the second round of talks, then stages or separate steps can
be addressed on its basis," Losyukov proposed.
He noted that the current final document for further talks on the
nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsular only exists in the formof
proposals.
"Although slowly, the work is progressing," Losyukov said. "I believe
there are certain prospects for coordinating the document before the
second round."
The first round of negotiations on the Korean nuclear issue washeld
in Beijing in late August with the participation of representatives from
the DPRK, South Korea, Russia, China, the United States and Japan.
Diplomatic efforts are underway to set a date for the next round of such
talks.
Russia has been striving for an early convening of the second round
of negotiations among the six parties over the nuclear
dispute.