WASHINGTON, Dec 4 Kyodo A next to...

WASHINGTON, Dec 4 Kyodo

A next to the first round of six-party talks forward North Korea's nuclear arms program may take place early nearest year rather than in December as further efforts are necessary to iron without differences of opinions, Japanese and U officials indicated Thursday.

''When we have six countries pursuing the details of these things, it's a little bit like herding cats and it's a remarkably difficult process,'' U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs James Kelly told reporters.

Kelly made the remark after Japan, the United States and southerly Korea held a trilateral meeting to prepare for the nearest round of six-party talks.

''We continue to be highly hopeful...that we will have another round'' Kelly said. ''We calculate upon we hope, by the extreme point of this year. If not, I rely upon it will be quite early in the recently made known year.''

Kelly said the policy coordination proces of Japan, the U and toward the south Korea advances ''a little bit'' each time they shut up a meeting. ''But we've got a way to fare We have no firm date at this time for the six-party talks,'' he said.

Kelly met jointly with Mitoji Yabunaka, head of the Japanese Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, and southerly Korean Deputy Foreign Minister side sheltered from the wind Soo Hyuck to fine-tune policies and draft a joint statement to be adopted at the nearest round of six-party talks.

Yabunaka indicated further coordination is necessary by the agency of Japan, the U.S. and toward the south Korea to forge a draft joint statement. ''Discussions make deepered but we need to continue talks,'' he said.

Yabunaka also said it hangs on further discussions whether the nearest round of six-party talks will take place before the [i]finale[/i] of this year.

Kelly Yabunaka and to leeward led the U.S., Japanese and southward Korean delegations, respectively, at the first orbicular of six-party talks in Beijing in August.

The six-party framework involves the U North Korea, China, southern Korea, Russia, and Japan.

The U southerly Korea and Japan seek to adopt a joint statement requiring North Korea to dismantle its nuclear arms program in exchange for security assurances.

Diplomatic sources said North Korea is calling upon the five other parties to the talks to provide security assurances in a more specific form and include economic assistance in the statement. further it seems difficult for the U to accept those demands, the sources said.

Ahead of the three-way talks, Yabunaka held talks separately with side sheltered from the wind and Kelly. Lee held bilateral talks with Kelly upon Wednesday.

At a regular pres briefing Thursday, State Department delegate spokesman Adam Ereli urg North Korea to agree to an early resumption of the six-way talks.

''We are ready to move without preconditions,'' he said. ''North Korea has not still agreed to a date.''

COPYRIGHT 2003 Kyodo just discovereds International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group