Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas F. Ople today said that the Philippines has been looking forward to the start of the six-party talks in Beijing and sees this as a sign of hope for the peace and stability of the Korean peninsula.

“We have always advocated for peaceful dialogue in relation to the issue of nuclear weapons in the Korean peninsula.  We commend the parties concerned for setting aside some of their differences and agreeing to come together in Beijing for these talks.  We see these talks as a sign of hope for a negotiated solution and for the peace and stability of the Korean peninsula,” Secretary Ople said.

Delegates from North and South Korea, Russia, China, Japan and the United States spent several hours sitting around a giant hexagonal table at Beijing's state guesthouse behind closed doors on Wednesday.

The Secretary, who had just returned from an official visit to China said that he had been given a detailed briefing on the six-party talks by his Chinese counterpart.  The briefing was given in the same room in which the six-party talks are being held.

“I deeply appreciated the briefing given by Foreign Minister Li.  I also acknowledged the central role being played by China on this issue, saying that China is doing the world a great service in taking the lead in helping find a solution to this problem,” the Secretary said.

The Secretary reiterated that while the Philippines was hopeful, it guardedly optimistic about the talks, particularly since early reports indicate that the US and the DPRK apparently remained firm on their positions with neither showing any flexibility. “While we recognize that these talks are just a beginning, I hope that the talks will be the start of a meaningful process of dialogue that will take those concerned away from the path of confrontation and conflict and firmly on the road to a just and peaceful solution,” the Secretary said. END.