Chinese Foreign Minister Meets Kim Jong Il

China`s Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, who has been visiting Pyongyang, met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il on Tuesday and had an extensive discussion on the North’s nuclear disarmament, according to sources.

This is the first time a Chinese foreign minister has met with Kim Jong Il since former Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing had a talk with Kim in March 2004.

Delivering a message from Chinese President Hu Jintao, Yang asked the North to accelerate the implementation of the February 13 agreement in order to resume the six-party talks, sources said.

In addition, Yang and Kim discussed the possibility of creating a separate forum on the sidelines of the six-party talks to discuss the establishment of a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula. Four member countries of the six party talks – the two Koreas, China and the United States – were mentioned as potential participants in the forum, according to sources.

Prior to his visit to Kim, Yang met with his North Korean counterpart Pak Ui Chun at Mansudae Assembly Hall to discuss issues of mutual concern, the North`s state-run Korean Central News Agency reported. The news agency, however, did not elaborate on the details of their discussions. Following the talk with Pak, Yang also met with Prime Minister Kim Yong Il.

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