Chief U.S. nuclear negotiator Christopher Hill arrived here on Thursday in the latest U.S. effort to convince the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to halt its nuclear weapons program.
Hill, who was invited to visit by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is the first high-ranking U.S. negotiator to visit in nearly five years.
Upon his arrival at the airport, Hill, head of the U.S. delegation at the six-party talks, told Xinhua that he hoped to "get the six-party talks process moving."
Hill, a U.S. assistant secretary of state, will focus on making progress on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
"We hope we can make up for some time we lost this spring," said Hill, adding "I'm looking forward to the discussion about that."
Hill was greeted at the airport by Li Geun, director of DPRK Foreign Ministry's America Bureau.
Hill said he was here at the invitation of the DPRK side but did not go into details about his schedule.
"I don't know yet (whom I am going to meet), my host, I think, will have the schedule," Hill said.
Hill's trip came after the resolution of a banking dispute that had held up progress of the six-party talks, which involve the United States, the DPRK, China, Japan, South Korea and Russia.
The DPRK's ambassador to Russia Kim Yong Che said earlier this week that the funds of 25 million U.S. dollars had arrived at the Central Bank of Russia and will be transferred to the DPRK foreign trade bank via a Russian bank.
The ambassador reaffirmed the DPRK's readiness to fulfill all its commitments undertaken at the six-party talks. The DPRK has insisted that the funds frozen at the bank be returned before any new negotiations are conducted.
Hill is scheduled to conclude his trip on Friday.
