U.S. Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry says Washington will open direct talks with North Korea to resolve the ongoing nuclear stalemate if he is elected to office in November.

In a blueprint for his domestic and foreign policies posted on his campaign Website, Kerry said his administration would be prepared to engage in direct bilateral negotiations with Pyongyang to support current multinational nuclear diplomacy.

The report also criticized Pres. George W. Bush's foreign policies and claimed that North Korea remains a far more compelling threat than Iraq.

Kerry argued that while the current Bush administration continued to obsess over Iraq issues, North Korea bulked up its nuclear force to the point of possibly possessing six to nine atomic bombs.