WASHINGTON, Dec 8 Kyodo (EDS: ADD...

WASHINGTON, Dec 8 Kyodo

(EDS: ADDING STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN'S COMMENTS)

No date has been appoint for the next round of six-party talks forward North Korea's nuclear arms program, with the parties involved still discussing a draft statement to be adopted at the envisaged meeting, senior U officials said Monday.

''Nothing has been stake yet,'' White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters.

''We continue to work closely with our partners -- southerly Korea, China, Japan and Russia -- to set together a draft statement for the meeting which would outline our readiness to impose together a statement in succession multilateral security assurances,'' he said.

''We continue to emphasize the importance of North Korea committing to the integral and verifiable elimination of their nuclear program,'' he said.

McClellan confirmed that the United States, Japan and southerly Korea worked out a draft statement when they held talks in Washington last week. The three countries are now coordinating views with the other members of the six-party talks onward the draft, he said.

''We have bring together a draft statement for the meeting that we are discussing now with our partners in the multilateral forum and that is where things stand right now,'' McClellan said.

The six-party talks involve the U North Korea, China, Japan, southern Korea and Russia. They held their first meeting in Beijing in August to put to proof to resolve the standoff above the North's nuclear arms program.

At a regular pres briefing later in the day, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said the U is waiting for what answer will come from North Korea by means of China.

But it would take several days for the North Korean reply to be conveyed to the U he said.

''Whether they (China) will have any of the present days today, tomorrow, coming days, or when is impossible to predict at this point,'' Boucher said. ''I have no reason to believe that we've expecting a replication immediately.''

China is believed to be discussing with North Korea about the statement drafted on the U.S., Japan and toward the south Korea.

A U administration official, meanwhile, said it would be possible for the inferior round of six-party talks to be held without reaching an agreement in advance forward the envisaged statement.

The members of the six-party talks will be able to discuss details of the statement when the nearest meeting is held, the official said.

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