The 6th round of the six-party talks on the North Korean nuclear issue will be held in Beijing on March 19. There has been much frustrated intent since the talks began in August 2003, but recent successes have been applauded by the international community. Like a mountaineer ascending the peak, the closer the parties get to closing in on their goal, the more difficult it becomes. Every step is tied closely to final success. For this reason, the 6th round of the six-party talks will be more pragmatic.

Prior to this round of talks, a series of bilateral and multilateral meetings have been held. The DPRK-US and DPRK-Japan bilateral relations normalization working groups have held face-to-face talks. The three multilateral working groups focusing on issues related to a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula, economic and energy cooperation, as well as mechanisms for peace and security in Northeast Asia, have begun meeting. Last week IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei visited North Korea at the country's invitation. Commitments made during the third phase of the 5th round of six-party talks are having an increasingly positive effect.

All parties have been very busy in the lead-up to the talks as they have agreed on the "Initial Actions to Implement Six-Party Joint Statement" which requires that they all take real action. The six parties have overcome all the difficulties and moved from the dialogue phase to the commitment phase, and now finally to the action phase. The peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is the goal of all parties.

According to the "Initial Actions to Implement Six-Party Joint Statement", in line with North Korean disablement operations, other parties will provide emergency assistance to the DPRK. Due to differences in interests and understanding, however, complications may arise. Furthermore, the role of the IAEA needs to be clarified. At this meeting, the six parties will examine the progress of all working groups, outline the next steps and discuss the statement of purpose for the next phase. Consultation, coordination and cooperation are likely to be the central themes of this round.

People should remain open-minded about the talks. Progress has undoubtedly been made and China is optimistic about achievements so far. However, the denuclearization process is a game with many variables. Only when the DPRK truly abandons its nuclear program in practice can it be concluded that substantial progress has been made.

By People's Daily Online