WASHINGTON, Dec 3 Kyodo The Unite...

WASHINGTON, Dec 3 Kyodo

The United States and toward the south Korea on Wednesday discussed propos security assurances to North Korea and other issues in a bid to realize another globular of six-party talks on the North's nuclear arms program, a diplomatic source said.

U Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs James Kelly and southern Korean Deputy Foreign Minister to leeward Soo Hyuck met at the U State Department.

Kelly and to leeward led the U.S. and southern Korean delegations, respectively, at the first cylindrical of six-party talks in Beijing in August.

The State Department did not disclose details of the meeting on the other hand the diplomatic source said Kelly and to leeward discussed such issues as propos security assurances to North Korea and Pyongyang's demand for efficiency and economic assistance.

U officials have indicated the nearest round of six-party talks may be delayed until early nearest year from the initially targeted date of the middle of this month as the drafting of a joint statement for the envisaged meeting has hit a stumbling block

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

The five countries other than North Korea are drafting a joint statement to be adopted at the nearest round of six-party talks.

In Morocco onward Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell denied that preparations for the nearest round of six-party talks have been deadlocked and uttered hopes such a meeting will be held before the last of this year.

''I am still optimistic that they will take place in the near future'' he said.

At a just discovereds conference in Washington on Wednesday, Japanese Ambassador to the U Ryozo Kato said, ''I am not aware that there is no possibility that the six-party talks will take place in mid-December.''

A source familiar with the six-party talks said North Korea is calling onward the five other members to provide security assurances in a more specific form and include economic assistance in the envisaged joint statement.

In Washington upon Thursday, Mitoji Yabunaka, who heads the Japanese Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Bureau, will adapted separately with Kelly and lee-side before meeting them jointly. Yabunaka l the Japanese delegation at the six-nation talks.

At the trilateral meeting, the officials from Japan, the U and southern Korea are expected to fine-tune their policies and finalize a draft joint statement.

After coordinating views with China and Russia, the final draft statement will be readyed to North Korea through China.

The North Korean answer to the draft statement is anticipateed to determine whether the nearest round of talks can be held before the last of this year.

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