US hopes for progress in six-party NKorea talks

WASHINGTON, Feb 1 (Reuters) The United States hopes to make a ''substantial start'' in six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear program in Beijing next week, said the top US negotiator to the talks today.

The State Department's point person on the issue, Chris Hill, said he believed there was a strong basis for making progress but he cautioned against too much optimism.

''We will not achieve full denuclearization in February but we hope to make a substantial start on this,'' Hill told reporters. ''As for whether we will be successful or not, time will tell,'' he added.

Hill said the goal of these talks, due to start on February 8, was to get a first tranche of measures implemented by Beijing.

The talks bring together the two Koreas, the United States, Russia, China and Japan.

REUTERS SP VV2342