N Korea nuclear talks to resume this week

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BEIJING, Jul 8 (AP): Negotiations on North Korea's nuclear program will resume this week for the first time in nine months, China said Tuesday.

The talks have been on hold since October due to a dispute over North Korea's obligation to declare its nuclear programmes.

"The six-party talks have made important progress. In order to move forward ... all parties have agreed to have a meeting in Beijing on July 10," Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told reporters.

Qin said the meeting was scheduled for three days, but that could change depending on whether progress is made.

The talks - which include China, Japan, Russia, the U.S. and the two Koreas - are back on after Pyongyang submitted a partial declaration of its nuclear programs and made progress in disabling its main atomic facility.

The talks were expected to focus on how to verify the North's nuclear list.