The US delegation head for the third round of six-party talks James Kelly said in Beijing Wednesday that the US side is determined to promote the solving of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue and will have serious discussions and raise suggestions during the four-day talks.  

Kelly, US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, said at the opening ceremony of the third round of six-party talks that the common goal is to realize a nuclear weapon-free peninsula, which will help to ensure peace and safety in the peninsula and the region at large.

That will also help to promote relations between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the United States and the international community.

The diplomat said that the road to success is never smooth, and he urged all sides to focus on the common goals and how to reach those goals.

He appreciated China's contribution to the six-party talks and expressed condolences on the Korean hostage beheaded in Iraq and Russian casualties in a terrorist attack in the republics of Ingushetia and Dagestan.

(Xinhua News Agency June 24, 2004)