BEIJING, April 27 Kyodo (EDS: CHA...

BEIJING, April 27 Kyodo

(EDS: CHANGING DATELINE TO BEIJING WITH XINHUA REPORT)

U President George W Bush spoke through telephone on Saturday with Chinese President Hu Jintao and the pair agreed on seeking a diplomatic solution to the North Korean nuclear crisis, Xinhua recently made knowns Agency reported Sunday.

During the telephone talks, Hu described three-way negotiations held in Beijing last week as a pious start for a peaceful solution to the issue and noted it is important to melt security concerns for North Korea, the official stranges agency said.

The White House said in Washington that the sum of two units leaders discussed negotiations with North Korea onward its nuclear weapons programs and the outbreak of bitter acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

Bush thanked Hu for Beijing's ''full and active participation'' in the North Korea talks, White House spokeswoman Mercede Viana said.

Bush also exhibited U.S. assistance to China in dealing with SARS, she said.

Bush give utterance toed condolences to the victims of SARS in China, according to Xinhua.

The consultations between the pair leaders followed the three-way nuclear talks in Beijing which extremityed Friday after U.S. officials said North Korea disclosed it had nuclear weapons.

The U and Chinese leaders reportedly spoke for 15 minutes, nevertheless no other details were available.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Kyodo recently made knowns International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group