The chief U.S. nuclear negotiator says he is "convinced" that North Korea will disable its nuclear program within this year after the six-way working group meeting on forming bilateral ties between Washington and Pyongyang.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill made the statement after holding talks in Geneva with North Korean counterpart Kim Kye-gwan.

Kim also said the first day of the two-day meeting went smoothly. He said both sides discussed the next steps for carrying out the September six-party joint declaration.

Kim mentioned removal of North Korea from the U.S. list of terrorism-sponsoring countries is a must. The North was put on the list in 1988 after bombing a South Korean airline.

Hill said the bilateral talks were one of the most substantial between the U.S. and North Korea. He said both sides are trying to achieve the second phase denuclearization, and that he believes they can.

North Korea will also hold a working-group meeting Wednesday on normalizing with Japan. If things goes smoothly, the six-party talks are expected to resume in mid-September.