Top U.S. nuclear negotiator Christopher Hill said Wednesday he had "positive" discussion with his counterpart from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on the need for verification.

He said verification is the key issue of the Korean Peninsula's denuclearization.

On Wednesday, Hill met separately with Chinese chief negotiator and Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei, and negotiators of the Japanese and DPRK delegations.

"We had very good discussion...but I'm not prepared at this time to announce any timetable (for declaration)," Hill told reporters on Wednesday evening.

According to a joint document released in Beijing on Oct. 3, the DPRK agreed to disable all its existing nuclear facilities and provide a complete and correct declaration of all its nuclear programs by the end of this year. However, the United States said it failed to do so.

"We had some delays, we certainly have to try to make more progress...but completing everything by the end of the year would be a challenge," Hill said.

The U.S. chief negotiator arrived in Beijing on Tuesday to confer on the six-party nuclear talks. He is scheduled to leave here on Thursday for Moscow.

(Xinhua News Agency May 29, 2008)