North Korea has stated that it is ready to return to talks which may see the country end its nuclear weapons programme.

|PIC1|Nuclear negotiators from China, the United States and North Korea met Tuesday to discuss details of restarting the North Korean disarmament talks, China's Foreign Ministry said

Issues remain regarding North Korea's suspicious relationship with the US that must be resolved. However, hope in a conclusion to the current nuclear crisis has been raised.

Pyongyang's top envoy, Kim Kye-gwan told reporters upon arrival in Beijing, "Because we have completed defensive steps by nuclear testing, we can go to the six-party talks no matter when they are."

He added, "We have many issues in dispute (with the United States). We have to narrow them to some extent."

The talks have been stalled for more than a year because of North Korean anger over financial sanctions imposed by the US.

Re-commencing the talks took on a much greater urgency after North Korea conducted its first nuclear test on early in October.