North Korea nuclear talks to resume Feb 8

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

The last round of negotiations in December scored no breakthroughs, but the announcement of new talks comes after meetings in Berlin between the chief US negotiator Christopher Hill and his North Korean counterpart, Kim Kye-gwan, raising hopes for progress.

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

The envoys will be seeking to flesh out agreement to partly implement a September 2005 joint statement that committed Pyongyang to dismantle its nuclear weapons in return for economic and security assurances.

REUTERS PB MIR RAI1229