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U.S. upbeat on North Korea talks

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NEW YORK (CNN) -- Christopher Hill, the chief U.S. negotiator with North Korea, said on Tuesday there is a "sense of optimism on both sides" after the first of several planned working groups talks in the wake of last month's agreement by the six countries involved in negotiating North Korea's nuclear program.

He described the day's meeting as "very good and comprehensive discussions. Eight-plus hours of talks."

Hill met with his North Korean counterpart, Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan.

The agreement -- reached by North Korea, the United States, South Korea, Japan, China and Russia -- outlines steps for the reclusive communist nation to begin to shut down its nuclear program in exchange for $300 million in energy and financial aid.

Hill and Kim met on Tuesday at a New York hotel, after brief talks over dinner on Monday night.

Shortly before Tuesday's morning session, Hill told reporters he believes the North Koreans "are committed" to following through on the February 13 agreement.

"But, as you know, what is important about these actions is not only to get them done, but then to use them as momentum," Hill said.

"We are not going to stop until we end at denuclearization."

He stressed that the talks were "an initial working group meeting."

"We need to report back to the six parties. We will be doing that on March 19," he said, referring to the date for the next planned six-party talks.

Japan will be the next member of the six-party negotiators to hold working group talks with North Korea, doing so on Wednesday, Hill said.

Speaking last month to the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Hill said he expected to discuss the normalization of relations between the United States and North Korea.

"There we will begin -- begin -- the process of addressing our bilateral ties with the intention of eventual normalization," he said. "I want to emphasize the word 'begin' because we have a lot of bilateral issues we need to talk about. We have a lot of issues that are of concern to us."

Hill said on Tuesday he believes North Korea is eager to get off the United States' list of state sponsors of terror and the United States is "committed to beginning that process."

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