By Seo Soo-min
Staff Reporter
The second round of the six-way talks on North Korea’s nuclear programs is not likely to be held within this month, National Security Advisor Ra Jong-yil said on Monday.

``Since China has lunar New Year’s festivities and Russia celebrates Christmas in January, it will be difficult to hold the second round of talks,’’ Ra told Chong Wa Dae reporters.

Late last month China got North Korea to agree to hold the second talks early this year without specifying a date. Next week is seen as the only possible time for this month due to the schedules of the other parties involved. Also dimming the prospects for talks in January are the scheduled visits by U.S. delegations to Pyongyang and that participating countries want to ensure meaningful results are produced by the talks, Ra explained.

``It’s an issue of coordinating different opinions to yield meaningful results,’’ the national security advisor said.

As for the visit to North Korea by a pair of private U.S. delegations from Tuesday, Ra and other officials said it was a positive development but avoided attributing the event much significance.

``It’s difficult to say exactly what North Korea’s intent is in allowing the visit,’’ Ra said. ``But personally I think it signals a shift toward further dialogue.’’

The possibility remains that North Korean authorities may allow the Americans to visit its nuclear facilities in Yongbyon, but this will fall far short of an inspection, Foreign Affairs-Trade Ministry officials said.

The U.S. delegations, one consisting of nuclear experts such as Sigfried Hecker, former director of the Los Alamos National Laboratory and former special negotiator to North Korea Jack Pritchard, will visit North Korea until Saturday.

After their visit, the team is schedule to stay in Seoul Jan. 11-13, meeting with senior Foreign Affairs-Trade Ministry officials, while a second delegation consisting of two senior staff aides of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee will visit North Korea.

ssm@koreatimes.co.kr