North Korea’s Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-kwan says that North Korea is ready to implement the September 2005 Joint Statement, indicating that the communist country will make efforts to resume the six-party nuclear talks.

Kim told foreign correspondents in Beijing Friday that North Korea will patiently wait for the five other countries to prepare for the resumption of the six-way nuclear talks.

Kim made the comments after meeting with China's chief delegate to the six-party nuclear disarmament talks Wu Dawei.

Kim also said that sanctions on North Korea are the biggest stumbling block to the resumption of the six-party nuclear talks. But he added that a way out of the deadlock could be found if all of the countries concerned work together, suggesting that North Korea has apparently stepped back from its initial stance that it would not return to the negotiating table with sanctions in place.

The North Korean vice foreign minister arrived in China on Tuesday and discussed with the top Chinese envoy measures to restart the multilateral nuclear talks.

Kim is expected to return to Pyongyang on Saturday.