Keep talking, Downer urges N Korea

Australia's minister pressed leaders in North Korea yesterday to remain involved in six-nation talks on its nuclear program, amid concerns that the Pyongyang administration might pull out of preparatory meetings for the next round of negotiations.

"I'd been, on arriving here, concerned that the six-party talks process was stalling, and I hoped that we'd been able to add some substantial momentum to that process," Alexander Downer said, according to Australian pool video of his visit received by Associated Press Television News.

Downer, who arrived in North Korea on Tuesday, met with the country's ceremonial head of state Kim Yong Nam and Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun.

The US, Russia, China, Japan and the two Koreas had agreed in June to hold the next round of nuclear talks in Beijing before the end of next month.

Washington also called for working meetings to prepare for those talks, but North Korea said on Monday that it wouldn't attend those lower-level meetings -- complaining the US wasn't interested in "making the dialogue fruitful."

In Seoul, South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon said yesterday that efforts were being made to still hold the working talks, but participants had yet to reach an agreement.

"Our government believes that the main talks should open before the end of September, and we expect it to be opened and will make necessary preparations," he said.

China, which hosts the six-party talks, also yesterday appealed to North Korea to join the working meetings.

"We hope that all sides will maintain a calm, practical and flexible attitude, appropriately handle these disagreements and continue to push forward the peace talks process with great strides," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said.

At the latest nuclear talks in June, North Korea offered to freeze its nuclear program in exchange for energy, lifting of US economic sanctions and removal from Washington's list of countries that sponsor terrorism.

It said the freeze would be a step toward eventual dismantling of the program.

The US proposal required the North to go further by disclosing all its nuclear activities, helping to dismantle facilities and allowing outside monitoring.

Under plan, some benefits would be withheld to ensure the North cooperates.

The nuclear dispute flared up in 2002 when US officials said North Korea had admitted that it was running a secret nuclear program in violation of international agreements.