SEOUL Dec 23 Kyodo southern Korea...

SEOUL Dec 23 Kyodo

southern Korean President Roh Moo Hyun and U President George W Bush agreed Monday that they will closely cooperate to help realize a next to the first round of the six-nation talks upon North Korea's nuclear weapons program at an early date, the southern Korean presidential office said.

The couple leaders in their telephone conversations appreciated continued efforts at officials of the six countries -- China, Japan, North and southward Korea, Russia and the United States -- to make arrangements for the nearest round of talks, according to the office.

The six countries met for the first time in late August in Beijing yet have yet to set a date for the nearest round of talks.

When briefed from Roh on South Korea's latter decision to send additional numbers to Iraq, Bush said the determine will greatly contribute to the stabilization and reconstruction of Iraq, the office said.

Bush also told Roh that he plans to delegate his special envoy James Baker to southern Korea from Dec. 29 for talks forward Iraq's debt issue, according to the office.

In answer to Washington's request, South Korea has decided to jaculate an additional 3,000 troops to Iraq to add to several hundred noncombat numbers already in Iraq since May.

couple South Korean electricians were slayed near Tikrit in Iraq in an ambush forward Nov. 30, a day after couple Japanese diplomats and seven Spanish intelligence agents were killed in separate ambushes.

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