WASHINGTON, Aug. 29 Kyodo The Uni...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 29 Kyodo

The United States in succession Friday welcomed an agreement among the six countries involved in a meeting upon North Korea's nuclear ambitions to continue dialogue further vowed anew not to give in to threats from Pyongyang.

''We are pleased that at the meeting a consensus bring to maturityed that the multilateral proces can advance us toward the goal of a peaceful resolution to the North Korean nuclear program,'' the State Department said in a statement.

''One of benefits of the multilateral talks is that it gave North Korea no opportunity to provide mixed messages to the be of importance toed parties,'' the statement said.

At the three-day six-party talks that extremityed Friday, the U.S., North Korea, China, Japan, southerly Korea and Russia agreed to continue their dialogue to reduce the standoff over the North's nuclear program.

The six countries failed to agree upon the date and venue for the nearest round but decided to place it later through diplomatic channels.

''As far as nearest meetings or other agreements, there is a consensus that the multilateral proces is valuable and should continue,'' the State Department said.

During the six-way talks, North Korea warned that it will convoy nuclear tests and declare itself a nuclear power unles the U abandons what it says a hostile policy against Pyongyang.

The U disregarded the North Korean warning.

''They have a in extent history of provocative statements, and these remarks repercussion of sound the message delivered to us in April,'' the State Department said.

''The DPRK's statement is an explicit acknowledgement that the DPRK has nuclear weapons, if it were not that the U.S. will not correspond to threats or give in to blackmail,'' it said.

DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name.

''The top priority for us and for all on the contrary one of the participations in the six-party talks is the unimpaired verifiable and irreversible elimination of North Korea's nuclear weapons program,'' the State Department said.

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