Tuesday, July 19 2005 16:54 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Beijing: China today (July 19, 2005) announced the resumption of the six-party talks on the vexed North Korean nuclear issue here from July 26.

The fourth round of the six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue will begin on July 26 in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan announced here without any indication of the closing date.

North Korea said earlier this month it would return to the six-way talks with China, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United States in the week of July 25, but it did not give an exact date.

In an apparent bid to resume the stalled six-party talks on the North Korean nuclear issue, China last week sent Chinese State Councillor, Tang Jiaxuan to Pyongyang.

By June last year, three rounds of the six-party talks, which involved North Korea, South Korea, the United States, China, Japan and Russia, had been held in Beijing without much progress.

A fourth round, scheduled to be held in September last year could not be held due to serious differences between Pyongyang and Washington. Pyongyang has refused to attend the fourth round of talks citing 'hostile' US policy.

The Bush administration is seeking complete and verifiable dismantlement of North Korea's nuclear weapons programme.