Two rounds of intense negotiations this year are providing some optimism that the Korean Peninsula will once again be nuclear free.

After a 13-month stalemate, the six-party talks resumed on July 26. The talks involving China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the United States, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Japan and Russia are aimed at resolving issues related to the DPRK's nuclear weapons program.

Through arduous negotiations, a joint statement was passed at the end of the fourth round of talks on Sept. 19, the first ever produced by the six parties. The DPRK pledged to abandon all its nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs in exchange for energy aid and security guarantees. The country also promised to return to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

The United States also affirmed that it had no nuclear weapons in the Korean Peninsula and had no intention of attacking or invading the DPRK with either nuclear or conventional weapons.

The joint statement, widely acknowledged as a milestone in the negotiation process, also described a commitment to normalizing relations between the DPRK and the United States and between the DPRK and Japan.

The adoption of the joint statement indicates that all parties, despite of their varied interests, share common concerns over peace and stability in Northeast Asia, said Piao Jianyi, an expert on Korean Peninsula affairs with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS).

The fifth round of negotiations this year took place in early November, and it began with some optimism. As representatives sat down at the big hexagonal table it was the first time since 2003 that a meeting had taken place on schedule. Analysts say this showed that all the parties are serious about fulfilling the promises made in the joint statement.

And it was indeed remarkable the November meetings took place after disputes had again flared between the DPRK and the United States.

In late October Washington froze assets of eight DPRK companies operating in the United States. The U.S. assistant secretary and chief negotiator to the six-party talks Christopher Hill criticized the DPRK openly during the APEC meeting in Seoul.

"The U.S. offensive against the DPRK not only runs counter to the spirit of the joint statement and makes it impossible for the later to honor its commitment," a DPRK Foreign Ministry spokesman said in early December.

The most urgent task facing the DRPK and the United States is to build mutual trust, said Zhang tiangui. a researcher of international strategic studies, adding that "patience is a must in order to break the ice."

CASS's expert on Korean affairs, Piao Jianyi, says that only responsible, constructive and flexible attitudes from all parties can move the process ahead. "Based on the significant progress made in 2005 the goal of a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula can be achieved," said Piao.

As the host of the talks, China has been keeping close contact with the other five parties and integrating their ideas into new proposals.

Chinese Foreign Minister Li shaoxing also reminds that patience is a key to the difficult talks saying it takes every step to climb to the top of a mountain.

No doubt the world is watching and hoping the talks get further up the hillside next year.

Source: Xinhua