nation talks in Beijing between the two Koreas, the United States, China, Japan, and Russia are currently seeking to work out the details of a February agreement on dismantling North Korea's nuclear-weapon facilities. On Sunday, Ban telephoned South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun to convey his best wishes ahead of the summit. The secretary-general, who previously had served as South Korea's foreign minister, voiced his hopes for increased reconciliation and strengthened cooperation between the two states, still formally at war. Ban is scheduled to meet with North Korea's permanent representative to the United Nations on Monday to convey a similar message, his office said.
