Beijing: North Korea is willing to give up all its nuclear weapons programs in a "transparent" way, the chairman of the just-concluded third round of six-way talks on Pyongyang's nuclear issue, Wang Yi said in Beijing today (Jun 26, 2004).

"The DPRK (North Korea) said it is willing to give up all nuclear weapons and nuclear weapons-related programmes in a transparent way," Wang, also Chinese Vice Foreign Minister told reporters without specifying if this offer included the highly contested uranium-enrichment programme.

Wang, who headed the Chinese delegation to the four-day in-camera session here at the Diayoutai State guest house, said that the key points that had to be resolved veered around the scope and manner of denuclearisation, including the scope of a freeze and corresponding measures.

"The major differences that are most evident at the moment are on two questions. One is related to the scope and manner of denuclearisation and the second is about the scope of the freeze and corresponding measures," he said.

"The parties, the US and the DRPK in particular, still have serious differences with regard to the two questions, but the progress made at the third round of talks has also demonstrated that these differences are narrowing," he said.

At the same time, he acknowledged that the major stumbling block was the differences over Pyongyang's alleged uranium programme.