Negotiators discussed detailed plans on Friday to disable the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) nuclear program, but reported slow progress in the latest round of Six-Party Talks in Beijing.
The DPRK has agreed to declare its nuclear programs and disable them, but has not been able to agree with the others – the US, China, Russia, the Republic of Korea and Japan – on what defines declaration and disablement.
Russian top negotiator Alexander Losyukov has denied that a draft version for a joint statement had been distributed to the parties involved in the talks.
"It's quite possible that the talks can end on schedule with a statement, but no draft for a joint statement has been distributed to us so far," Losyukov told reporters when he returned to his hotel on Friday afternoon.
He said the second-day meeting on the nuclear issue "proceeded well" and the discussion on the denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula was "not finished yet", explaining that some delegations needed to consult with their governments.
"The solution of the issue will be a complicated process and it's not easy for the parties involved to reach agreements," the Russian negotiator stressed.
He also told reporters that finishing the denuclearization process within the year "would be very hard".
The Six-Party Talks aimed at resolving the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula involve China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the United States, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Russia and Japan.
ROK also said that all six nations still need more discussion for the final agreement.
In a news briefing late on Friday, ROK top negotiator Chun Yung-woo said all parties had the aspiration of reaching a joint document, and the ROK had submitted its own draft.
The second phase of the 6th round of Six-Party Talks started on Thursday and was expected to last till Sunday.
