US negotiator hopeful of new six-party talks on N Korea

The chief US negotiator at six-nation talks on North Korea’s nuclear weapons program said today he was hopeful the talks can resume by the end of this month, and described as “useful” a meeting with his North Korean counterpart.

US Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill and the North’s Kim Kye Gwan met for six hours yesterday at the US Embassy in Berlin, and were to meet again today at the North Korean Embassy, Hill said.