노무현 대통령을 수행 싱가포르 Asean Plus Three Meeting에 참석중인 송민순 외교부 장관은 월요일 밤 미국 라이스 국무장관과 15분간 전화통화를 가졌다.

송 장관은 북한이 올해 말까지 핵 불능화작업을 마무리한다는 핵 불능화와 관련, 6자회담이 12월중순전에 다시 열릴것이라고 말했다.

이어 송 장관은 핵 불능화 작업이 끝나면 6자회담국의 외무장관 회담을 열기로 라이스 국무장관과 의견을 교환했다고 덧붙였다.

South Korean Foreign Minister Song Min-soon said Tuesday that the six-party talks on the disablement of North Korea's nuclear program will likely be held again before the middle of December.

Song, accompanying President Roh Moo-hyun on his trip to Singapore for the ASEAN Plus Three summit, told reporters that he and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice talked over the telephone Monday night and agreed to resume the six-party talks as soon as possible for discussions on disablement of North Korea's nuclear facilities.

"Rice and I talked for 15 minutes late Monday night and discussed the year-end deadline for North Korea's nuclear disablement and disclosure of its nuclear programs, as well as reciprocal measures by the five other members of the six-party talks, including Washington's lifting of its economic sanctions," said Song.

"We also talked about the schedule for the proposed six-nation foreign ministerial meeting, which will discuss measures after the disablement of the North Korean nuclear program. For that purpose, we agreed to push to hold a six-party meeting of chief nuclear negotiators as soon as possible," said the minister, adding the meeting could take place in the beginning or middle of December.

국제부 이명근 기자/외교통상부 및 행정자치부 출입기자

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