Beijing to host multilateral negotiations on DPRK nuclear issue late in August

Beijing will host multilateral negotiations on the North Korean nuclear issue late in August, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov reported.

According to him, the talks will be probably conducted at the level of foreign ministers.

The Russian Deputy Foreign Minister believes that it will not be possible to settle all issues during the first round of talks. Most likely, the parties will have to meet once again.

According to Alexander Losyukov, it is necessary to reach an agreement on setting up such a system that will ensure stability and eliminate concerns about proliferation of nuclear weapons in the region as well as promote economic development of the Korean Peninsula. This system is to replace the existing one based on the truce agreement in the Korean Peninsula, the Russian diplomat stressed.

The other day Alexander Losyukov conducted a series of consultations on multilateral negotiations in Beijing. According to him, the consultations were "friendly and fruitful." "We attach much importance to contacts with Chinese colleagues with whom we share our stance. We have the same stance and have the same estimates of all details of the forthcoming talks and it is very important as the talks will be determined mostly by these details," the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister said.

He also underscored that at present, intensive negotiations between all participants of the talks in Beijing are underway. On August 13, the US, South Korean and Japanese representatives will come together in Washington. Later, negotiations between the Russian delegation and the North Korean delegation will be conducted in Moscow. Then the Russian party will hold talks with the South Korean party, Alexander Losyukov said.