US 'still seeks 6-way talks'

MANILA: The United States is not in a hurry to look for options other than the Six-Party Talks on the DPRK to get Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear program, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said yesterday.

Last week, US officials said Gates told his counterparts from the ROK and Japan that while diplomacy was preferred in dealings with the DPRK, other steps may be considered if it failed.

"With respect to the team that is visiting Tokyo, Seoul, Moscow and Beijing, I think it's important for us to take it a step at a time and I'd rather not presume that we will not be successful in gaining a broad agreement on the way forward," Gates told reporters in Manila.