By IANS,
Beijing : Russia Friday said progress being made at six-nation talks on North Korea’s controversial nuclear programme has raised hopes for an advancement in the denuclearisation of the communist country.
“Naturally, there is progress on the basis of earlier achievements,” Russian deputy foreign minister Alexei Borodavkin told the RIA-Novosti news agency.
The Russian diplomat said there were still problems accompanying the talks, but there were hopes that the parties “will finish with a good result”.
Representatives from Russia, the US, China, Japan and the two Koreas began their fresh round of talks in Beijing Thursday and they are expected to adopt a statement Saturday, the last day of the talks.
The talks stalled late last year when Pyongyang missed a deadline to hand over nuclear data as part of a deal under which the communist country was promised economic aid and diplomatic incentives.
However, the talks were given new life when North Korea handed over detailed data on its nuclear activities in late June. It also demolished the cooling tower at its main Yongbyon nuclear complex June 27.
North Korea has said it possesses just 37 kg of plutonium and has destroyed the means to make more.