Stephen Bosworth, U.S. special representative for DPRK policy, and his party visited Pyongyang from Dec. 8 to 10. During their stay they had talks with the vice-minister for U.S. affairs of the DPRK Foreign Ministry and its first vice-minister met with them.

At the meeting and talks both sides had a long exhaustive and candid discussion on wide-ranging issues including the conclusion of a peace agreement, the normalization of the bilateral relations, economic and energy assistance and the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

Through working and frank discussion the two sides deepened the mutual understanding, narrowed their differences and found not a few common points. They also reached a series of common understandings of the need to resume the six-party talks and the importance of implementing the September 19 Joint Statement.

Both sides agreed to continue to cooperate with each other in the future to narrow down the remaining differences.