Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon has stressed that cooperation and exchanges between South and North Korea have developed to a point where it is impossible to reverse the trend.

In a speech before the National Press Club in Australia Monday, Ban added that, despite recent difficulties, inter-Korean cooperation and exchanges are on an irreversible track.

Earlier in the day, Ban met Australian Prime Minister John Howard and Foreign Minister Alexander Downer to discuss pending bilateral issues.

Ban also signed a bilateral resource cooperation accord with Australia's industry, tourism and resources minister, Ian Macfarlane.

Ban arrived in Canberra on Saturday on the last leg of a three-nation trip that took him to Thailand and New Zealand last week.