Ministers may meet on NKorea in early September-US

WASHINGTON, Aug 6 (Reuters) The six parties seeking to bring an end to North Korea's nuclear weapons programs could hold a ministerial meeting as early as the first half of September, the US State Department said today.

Speaking to reporters, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack also laid out a rough schedule over the next month for working group talks among the six parties, which include the Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the United States.

North Korea agreed in September 2005 to end its nuclear arms programs, which are regarded as a threat to South Korea, Japan and the broader region as well as a proliferation risk, but progress on carrying out the agreement has been slow.

Under a follow-on deal in February, North Korea agreed to take steps toward ending its nuclear programs and the other five to give it fuel. The parties also decided to form five working groups to discuss specific issues.

McCormack said the working group on the economy and on energy cooperation was scheduled to meet this week and the one on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula would ''probably'' meet next week.

The other three working groups -- on a regional peace and security mechanism and on the normalization of North Korea's relations with the United States and with Japan -- were likely to meet toward toward the end of August, he said.

He said he did not know where the meetings would occur.

Asked when a ministerial meeting might take place, McCormack said: ''I think you could look for something as early as ... the first half of September but no date (is) set yet.'' The US spokesman suggested a meeting was not likely on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation talks in Sydney, Australia. APEC ministers are to meet Sept. 5-6 and leaders of the 21 member economies are to gather September 8-9.

The six-party talks, which are hosted by China, are typically held in Beijing.

REUTERS AE RAI2255