Six-Party Talks End Without Breakthrough

The latest round of six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear program has ended in Beijing without a breakthrough. A statement released by the chairman of the talks says negotiators hope to reconvene at the earliest opportunity and said that the six parties agreed to implement the joint statement of September 2005 as soon as possible, and in a "phased manner."

The five-day talks that ended Friday were the first held by the six nations involved in more than a year, and the first since Pyongyang conducted a nuclear test in October.

Japan's prime minister, Shinzo Abe, says the international community is likely to increase pressure on Pyongyang. North Korea promised in principle to disarm in 2005. But it has refused to negotiate implementation until the U.S. lifts financial sanctions imposed last year in response to North Korea's alleged counterfeiting and money laundering. South Korean president Roh Moo-hyun said Thursday that the United States bears some of the blame for the lack of progress over North Korea's disarmament.

最新一轮有关北韩核项目问题的六方会谈星期五在北京结束，没有取得任何突破。六方会谈主席发表声明说，谈判人员期望尽早再次举行会谈，并表示会谈六方同意尽早分阶段落实2005年9月达成的联合声明。

星期五结束的5天会谈是有关六国一年多以来举行的第一次会议，也是平壤方面10月进行核试爆以来的第一次。

日本首相安倍晋三说，国际社会可能会加紧对平壤施加压力。2005年，平壤原则上承诺解除核武器，但是拒绝讨论协议的实施，除非美国先解除去年针对北韩据称造伪钞和洗钱而实施的制裁。韩国总统卢武铉星期四说，北韩解除核武方面没有进展，美国要承担部分责任。