Bush Wants talks on NKorea as soon as possible

WASHINGTON, Nov 1 (Reuters) US President George W Bush said today he wants six-party talks with North Korea on its nuclear programme to resume as soon as possible after Pyongyang agreed this week to return to the negotiating table.

Bush said he was sending two senior State Department officials, Nicholas Burns and Robert Joseph, to the region to discuss strategy for getting the long-stalled talks under way and to make sure UN sanctions on Pyongyang are implemented.

He expressed suspicion, however, that North Korea might try to create divisions among the United States and the four other countries, Russia, Japan, China and South Korea, participating in the negotiations.

But Bush voiced hope that Pyongyang, which carried out its first nuclear weapons test last month in defiance of international pressure, ''now recognizes the seriousness of ...

the five parties.'' North Korea said today it was returning to the talks because Washington had agreed to discuss financial sanctions Pyongyang says drove it from the negotiating table to start with in November 2005.

''We want these talks to succeed,'' Bush said in an interview with Reuters and other news agencies. ''We have always believed that we can solve the Korean and North Korean nuclear issue peacefully.'' ''Success will mean that the North Koreans verifiably give up their weapons and weapons programs,'' he added. ''Success for them will mean they won't be isolated and there's a better way forward for their people.'' Asked when he wanted the talks to resume, Bush said: ''Our view is as soon as possible.'' Reuters SRS VP0148