LONDON, Feb 10 (AFP) - UN Secretary General Kofi Annan urged North Korea on Thursday to return to the negotiating table after its dramatic announcement that it was withdrawing from talks on its nuclear programme.
Speaking in London, Annan urged other parties to the talks -- including China, South Korea and the United States -- to make efforts to bring North Korea back to the table.
"I heard the news and I hope that it is not a definitive position, because the other countries involved in the six-party talks and my own envoy, who has been visiting North Korea and the region, believes that that is the route to go and they are hopeful that it will yield results," he said.
"I expect that, with efforts by the other countries involved, North Korea can be brought back to the table. I would urge them to engage with North Korea and bring them back to the table and for talks to resume as soon as possible."
North Korea announced Thursday it would no longer engage in dialogue on its nuclear program. It also reported it had manufactured bombs to protect itself against a US attack.
Pyongyang's declaration compounded US and European efforts to curb the proliferation of nuclear weapons at a moment when discussions with Iran over its suspected ambitions are also dragging.
Annan was in the British capital to deliver a talk at the prestigious Banqueting Hall in Whitehall, the centre of the British government, introduced by Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Foreign Secretary Jack Straw endorsed Annan's remarks, adding: "It would be a major mistake by the DPRK (Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea) were they to go down this route."
02/10/2005 14:59 GMT - AFP