The US on Thursday urged the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to return to the six-party talks "as soon as possible."

"It is in North Korea (DPRK)'s interest to come back to the six-party talks as soon as possible," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said at a news briefing.

"The president wants to see a peaceful, diplomatic resolution to the situation in North Korea. North Korea needs to stop its pursuit of nuclear weapons, and then it can realize better relations with the rest of the international community," he said.

"We will continue to work with all nations in the region who are sending one unified message to North Korea: We want a non-nuclear peninsula, and you need to abandon your ambitions for nuclear weapons. That is the message that is being sent to North Korea," McClellan said.

Three rounds of the six-party talks, hosted by China and also attended by the DPRK, the US, the Republic of Korea, Russia and Japan, have been held to end the nuclear standoff between the DPRK and the US.

(Xinhua News Agency January 7, 2005)