MOSCOW, February 21 (RIA Novosti) - The six-nation talks on North Korea's nuclear program could continue this spring, although a specific date has not been discussed so far, a Russian Foreign Ministry source said Tuesday.
"We cannot rule out that the second phase of the fifth round of talks will take place in spring," the source said, adding that a great deal depended on the negotiators' resolve to settle the differences that had hampered the negotiations.
He added that this referred, above all, to the United States and North Korea.
Meanwhile, the Russian side will continue to work in all formats to ensure an early resumption of the talks, the official said.
Currently, the parties to the negotiations that began in 2003 in Beijing - Russia, North Korea, South Korea, the United States, China, and Japan - are holding bilateral consultations.
"There should also be contacts between North Korea and the United States," the Russian diplomat said.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry's press department, consultations were held Monday between the heads of the Russian and U.S. delegations at the six-nation talks - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alexeyev and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill.
No details of the meeting have been released.
