North Korea and China have signed an agreement to facilitate bilateral investments and expand cooperation on environmental issues.

North Korea's state-run Korean Central news Agency said North Korean Premier Pak Pong-ju and his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabo reached the agreement during a meeting in Beijing Tuesday.

The KCNA said the accord is expected to further strengthen friendly ties between the neighboring countries.

Pak is in Beijing to hold talks with Chinese leaders about the possibility of his country's return to the six-party talks on its nuclear weapons development. The trip comes immediately after a visit to China by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice earlier in the week.

The North Korean premier reportedly said Pyongyang will take part in the talks if the conditions are right.