NKorea Nuclear Talks Resuming

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, left, answers to a reporter's question as Kenichiro Sasae, Japan's envoy to talks on North Korea's nuclear program listens after their talks at foreign ministry in Tokyo Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2007. Envoys to six-nation talks on North Korea's nuclear program were due to arrive in Beijing on Wednesday for what Pyongyang's top negotiator has called make-or-break discussions. (AP Photo/Kyodo News)

BEIJING -- Progress in a new round of North Korean nuclear disarmament talks would help squelch allegations that the North is providing nuclear know-how to countries such as Syria, South Korea's envoy to the negotiations said Wednesday.

The six-party talks resume Thursday in Beijing and chief U.S. envoy Christopher Hill said they were entering a "very important phase." North Korea has described the upcoming round as make-or-break. Japan, Russia and China are also involved.

Israeli warplanes attacked a Syrian installation on Sept. 6 and foreign news reports have cited officials and experts as saying the strike targeted either arms meant for Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon or some sort of unconventional weapons target, perhaps a joint Syrian-North Korean nuclear project. Syria has denied both, and North Korea has denied a nuclear link with Damascus.

Israel has imposed a news blackout on the matter and has not confirmed the attack or commented about it.

"The surest and most fundamental solution" to such nuclear proliferation allegations is to "achieve denuclearization through the six-party talks as soon as possible," South Korean envoy Chun Yung-woo said after arriving in Beijing.

Speaking before leaving Tokyo for Beijing, Hill said the talks could be key as the parties try to get North Korea to declare and disable its nuclear programs.

"The last stage, of course, is the elimination of all these programs, but I think this will really set the stage for that," Hill told reporters after meeting with Japanese envoy Kenichiro Sasae. "This is a very important phase."

Under a February agreement, the other participants agreed to provide North Korea with 1 million tons of heavy fuel oil, or the monetary equivalent in other aid and assistance. In return, North Korea agreed to shut down its main nuclear reactor _ which it did in July _ and then declare and ultimately dismantle all its nuclear programs.

North Korea's envoy Kim Kye Gwan arrived in Beijing Tuesday, telling reporters that an agreement was possible on "measures to implement what we have already reached a consensus on."

However, Kim also warned: "If not, it could go back to square one."

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Associated Press writers Hyung-jin Kim in Beijing and Carl Freire in Tokyo contributed to this report.