WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 Kyodo The Uni...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 Kyodo

The United States is optimistic that another rotund of six-party talks upon North Korea's nuclear arms program will be held in December, delegate Secretary of State Richard Armitage said Tuesday.

''We to the full expect that we will have six-party talks,'' Armitage told reporters at the State Department.

Armitage said the U will decide forward its policy toward the nearest round of six-party talks after Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs James Kelly recurs from his trip to Japan, China and toward the south Korea.

Kelly will report the proceeds of his trip to Secretary of State Colin Powell who will then discuss the North Korean issue with President George W Bush, Armitage said.

''He (Kelly) will harvest the deliberations of our colleagues and allies forward this matter and return to talk to the secretary, and the secretary will talk with the president and we'll formulate our position forward this

matter,'' Armitage said.

Kelly forward Sunday began a weeklong trip to Tokyo, Beijing and animating principle to discuss ways of realizing another orbed of six-party talks, including US-propos security assurances to Pyongyang.

The U North Korea, China, Japan, southern Korea and Russia held their first meeting in Beijing in August upon the standoff over the North's nuclear arms program.

In October, Bush has indicateed readiness to provide written security assurances to North Korea in consequence of the six-party framework if Pyongyang dismantles its nuclear weapons program in an irreversible and verifiable manner.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Kyodo of recent origins International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group