A South Korean official said Friday that six-nation talks on disarming North Korea's nuclear programs could resume early next month, and a news report said host China has proposed dates of Dec. 6-8 for the negotiations, according to AP. Russia's chief nuclear negotiator, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov, said China had circulated the proposed dates to the other parties _ the U.S., the two Koreas, Japan and Russia _ and Moscow had accepted it, according to the Interfax news agency. South Korea's Yonhap news agency carried a similar report and said that Seoul had also agreed to the idea. Seoul's Foreign Ministry declined to confirm the reports. «All we can say is that the talks could be held in early or mid-December,» an official said on condition of anonymity citing the issue's sensitivity. Ministry spokesman Cho Hee-yong said all six countries share an understanding that the talks should be held at an early date and that China is consulting with other nations to set the date.
