South Korea’s President Roh Moo-hyun and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder exchanged views on North Korea at their summit in Hanoi Friday, on the sidelines of the ASEM forum.

Roh was quoted by his spokesman as asking his German counterpart to facilitate greater participation by European Union countries to nudge North Korea towards becoming a responsible member of the global community.

Spokesman Kim Jong-min also said during the 40-minute long summit, the South Korean president stressed the importance of providing economic and energy support to the North to get Pyongyang to make changes for easing tensions in the Northeast Asia.

In response, Schroeder said such matters could be discussed in detail when Roh visits Germany next year - an invitation which the Korean president had accepted at the start of the talks.

The spokesman said the two leaders also touched on issues of expanding bilateral cooperation and the ongoing integration of the EU.