The United States and the Republic of Korea share the same view that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) should return to six-party talks, US President George W. Bush said in Washington on Friday.
"South Korea and the United States share the same goal, and that is a Korean peninsula with no nuclear weapons," Bush told reporters after talks with his South Korean counterpart Roh Moo-hyun at the White House.
Roh said there were some remaining differences between his country and the United States.
"There are one or two minor issues, but I'm certain we will be able to work them out with dialogue," Roh said.
The South Korean president said there were "no difference between our two sides on basic principles."
Stressing that Washington and Seoul should "speak with one voice" on the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula, Bush reiterated his call for Pyongyang to return to the six-party talks that also involves the United States, the Republic of Korea, China, Japan and Russia.
Bush did not offer new inducements to Pyongyang to prompt its return to the talks, saying trade and economic incentives contained in a US-backed offer made last June stand.
"We laid out a way forward last June and it's a reasonable proposal and we're still awaiting the answer to that proposal," Bush said.
Three rounds of the six-party talks have been held. The six-party talks have been stalled since June last year as the DPRK accused the United States of adopting a hostile policy towards Pyongyang.
(Xinhua News Agency June 11, 2005)
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