China sets date for North Korea nuclear talks

BEIJING, Jan 30 (Reuters) Six-party talks aimed at dismantling North Korea's nuclear weapons are to resume in Beijing on February 8, China's Foreign Ministry said today.

The last round of negotiations in December, two months after North Korea raised the stakes by conducting a nuclear test, produced no breakthrough.

The announcement of a new round comes after meetings in Berlin between the chief US negotiator Christopher Hill and his North Korean counterpart, Kim Kye-gwan, raising hopes for progress this time.

The talks group the two Koreas, the United States, Japan, Russia and host China.

Today's announcement was made by ministry spokeswoman, Jiang Yu, who said China had an open attitude about the length of the negotiations.

''There have been significant contacts between the various parties on how to move the talks forward and implement the joint statement,'' she said.

''These contacts have laid the foundation for the six-partytalks resuming as early as possible.

''...We hope that all sides will continue to display a positive attitude, strengthen dialogue, enhance trust and as early as possible fully implement the joint statement and realise the goal of denuclearising the Korean peninsula.'' The envoys will be seeking to flesh out an agreement for initial implementation of a September 2005 joint statement that committed Pyongyang to dismantle its nuclear weapons in return for economic and security assurances.

In an interview with Reuters yesterday, Hill said North Korea's commitment to give up its nuclear weapons was ''strong'' and Washington would not allow other issues, including a dispute over UN Development Programme money, to undercut a nuclear deal.

Hill declined to reveal details of what might emerge from the Beijing talks but said ''we have the basis of a good six-party meeting''.

He leaves this weekend for discussions in Seoul and Tokyo.

The last session of six-party talks bogged down over Pyongyang's complaints about a US financial crackdown that led to Macau freezing 24 million dollars in North Korean accounts and many other international banks curtailing business with the North.

The United States Treasury in September 2005 said Macau's Banco Delta Asia helped Pyongyang to launder earnings from counterfeit US dollars and illicit drugs.

Today, the US deputy assistant Treasury secretary for terrorist financing and financial crimes, Daniel Glaser, was due to resume talks with North Korean officials in Beijing about untangling the financial dispute.

REUTERS PB ND1312