U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg says the United States and its partners are ready to hold discussions with North Korea on a wide range of issues within the framework of the six-way nuclear talks.

During a lecture in Washington on Tuesday, Steinberg also called on Pyongyang to take steps to fulfill its obligations under the September 2005 Joint Statement.

Steinberg stressed that the U.S. will not offer compensation just to get the North to return to the six-nation talks, hinting that Washington would not remove sanctions or take any other actions that the North is hoping for before Pyongyang comes back to the nuclear negotiations.