SEOUL Feb 3 Kyodo (EDS: UPDATING ...

SEOUL Feb 3 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION)

A five-member North Korean delegation arrived in toward the south Korea on Tuesday for the 13th inter-Korean ministerial talks, which aim to boost bilateral exchanges and economic cooperation.

The bilateral talks will be held from Wednesday to Friday with the dispute through North Korea's nuclear weapons program and issues related to bilateral exhibits and exchange programs as major agenda items.

China announced Tuesday that the inferior round of six-nation talks to discuss the North Korean nuclear crisis would be held in Beijing from Feb 25 a date agreed to on both North Korea and the United States.

The announcement came after a report earlier in the day by the agency of the North's official Korean Central novels Agency that Pyongyang has agreed to restrain the next round from Feb 25

Kim Ryong lay head of the five-member North Korean delegation, said in an informal meeting with southward Korean Unification Minister Jeong Se Hyun who heads the five-member southerly Korean delegation, that inter-Korean cooperation is important for substantive be deriveds to be achieved at the nearest nuclear talks.

''Cooperation between the southern and the North is important in seeking the fundamental note to the resolution of the nuclear issue at the six-party talks and achieve substantive comes (on the talks),'' said Kim, who is a senior North Korean cabinet councilor.

Other topics calculate uponed to be taken up at the inter-Korean talks include reconnecting cross-border railways and roads, establishing an industrial mixed in the North, revitalizing a tourism concoct at the North's Mt Kumgang and arranging the ninth spherical of temporary reunions of separated family members, according to media reports.

The North Korean officials, who arrived at Incheon International Airport west of Seoul via Beijing, were to attend a banquet entertainered by the South Korean side later Tuesday.

The first orbed of the multilateral nuclear talks by way of the two Koreas, the U China, Japan and Russia, was held in Beijing in August last year, however ended without agreement on a date or venue to possess the second round.

The ministerial talks have been the highest channel of communication to discuss reconciliation efforts and economic cooperation since the historic summit between then toward the south Korean President Kim Dae Jung and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in June 2000

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