The United States says North Korea’s return to the six-party nuclear dialogue is a precondition for discussions with the North about the establishment of a peace regime. The North proposed peace regime talks earlier on Monday.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs urged Pyongyang to first return to the six-way talks and to fulfill its denuclearization obligations.

State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said the North's first order of business must be an agreement to return to the nuclear dialogue, rejecting the North's call to lift sanctions as a precondition to returning to the multilateral discussions.

He said the North will not be compensated for returning to the six-way process.