US, North Korea discuss revival of nuclear talks

Jul 28, 2011, 14:50 GMT

New York - A high-ranking North Korean diplomat entered the US mission to the United Nations in New York for the first time on Thursday to begin discussion on ways to revive talks on resolving Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions.

Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan met with US special envoy Stephen Bosworth inside the newly built mission facing UN headquarters. The Pyongyang government was invited by US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton last week to send an envoy for the talks.

The six-party talks to resolve North Korea's nuclear programme involved the United States, Russia, China, Japan and North and South Korea, and have been deadlocked since 2008.

US State Department spokesman Mark Toner emphasized that the talks were 'exploratory' and meant to see whether North Korea is serious about returning to the six-nation talks and making progress and living up to a 2005 nuclear disarmament agreement.

Pyongyang 'needs to take concrete steps towards denuclearization,' Toner told reporters in Washington.

Toner said it was likely the talks will continue on Friday.