Beijing, July 12 (RIA Novosti) - The timeframe for the fourth round of the six-sided talks on the North Korean nuclear issue is still being discussed, the Chinese Foreign Ministry told a briefing Tuesday.
According to Chinese spokesman Liu Jianchao, round will be held sometime during the week of July 25. Jianchao said the preliminary session of the working group "needs further coordination," as the negotiators still differ on a series of issues.
Despite all the difficulties, the diplomat said the talks had bright prospects.
Liu Jianchao confirmed that the details of the fourth round of the six-sided talks would be considered by China's State Councilor and a special envoy of the Chinese leader Tang Jiaxuan, who left for Pyongyang Tuesday.
Last Saturday, North Korea expressed it readiness to return to the negotiating table.
The state Japanese TV channel NHK cited a source in the ruling Liberal and Democratic Party that the fourth round of the six-sided talks on the nuclear issue in North Korea would begin July 27 in Beijing.
The first round of talks began in Beijing in 2003 and gathered diplomats from Russia, the U.S., North Korea and South Korea, China and Japan. They sought to put an end to the North Korean nuclear program, but have yet to reach an agreement.
The fourth round scheduled for October 2004 did not take place, and Pyongyang said it was impossible to discuss the nuclear program under permanent threats from Washington.
In February, North Korea officially announced it has nuclear weapons.
