BEIJING, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States will start bilateral talks on establishing diplomatic relations, according to a joint statement released at the end of the current round of six-party talks.

"The DPRK and the United States will start bilateral talks aimed at resolving pending issues and moving towards full diplomatic relations," the Joint Statement says.

The United States will begin the process of removing the designation of the DPRK as a state-sponsor of terrorism and advance the process of terminating the application of the Trading with the Enemy Act with respect to the DPRK, the Joint Statement says.

The third phase of the fifth round of the six-party talks, which groups China, the DPRK, the United States, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Japan