The United States is encouraging members of the six-party talks to engage in separate dialogues with North Korea.
Citing inter-Korean talks on a South-North joint project to build an industrial complex in North Korea, a senior U.S. State Department official told South Korean reporters Wednesday that separate dialogues among the six countries on a number of issues would be helpful for the progress of the six-party nuclear negotiations.
The official said it is high time for North Korea to return to the six-party talks and to reach a strategic decision on the abolition of its nuclear weapons program in a permanent, transparent and comprehensive manner.
The official dismissed accusations by North Korea over Washington's alleged hard line policy on Pyongyang, saying the United States was ready to engage in dialogue for a peaceful and diplomatic resolution of the nuclear issue within the six-party framework.
The official also said the multilateral framework could ultimately be developed into a consultation body dedicated to seeking peace and stability in the Northeast Asian region.