International talks on North Korea's nuclear disarmament were expected to resume in Beijing next week, news reports said Tuesday, as the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog prepared to return to the North to oversee the promised shutdown of its main reactor. Host China has informed participating countries that the negotiations will start July 18, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported from Beijing, citing an unidentified diplomatic «source» familiar with the negotiations. The session was expected to last two days, but could go on for one more if necessary, Yonhap said. China was expected to make an official announcement on the talks as early as Tuesday, Yonhap added. Russia's Interfax news agency carried a similar report, saying Beijing has suggested the talks be held on July 18-19. «The Russian side intends to take part,» Interfax quoted an unidentified official as saying. But Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang did not confirm a date for the talks. «We hope that we can hold the meeting of the heads of the delegations at the middle of this month but it still needs the consent of every party,» he said. South Korea's chief negotiator, Chun Yung-woo, said that he has not been informed of the date yet. «Let's wait until China makes an announcement,» he said. But another South Korean Foreign Ministry official, who spoke on customary condition of anonymity citing policy, said that views of the participants «are converging in that direction,» referring to the possibility of the negotiations resuming on July 18. The talks _ involving China, Japan, the two Koreas, Russia and the United States _ were last held in March.
