Jean Ping, president of the U.N. General Assembly, who returned last week from a five-day trip to DPRK, said Monday that DPRK wants to resume the six-party talks as soon as possible.

''They told me that they think that the talks should resume as soon as possible, as quick as possible, but they told me that they think that there is a sort of a need before resuming -- there is a need to improve the climate of negotiations,'' Ping told reporters at a press conference at the United Nations.

Ping visited Pyongyang at the invitation of Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun.

Ping traveled to the country in the dual capacity as Gabon's foreign minister and as president of the U.N. General Assembly.

Ping discussed U.N. Security Council reform, the world body's revitalization, as well as talked about the nuclear situation with DPRK officials. The North refused to attend the fourth round of talks that were to be held in September with China, Japan, South Korea, Russia and the United States.

At that time, the DPRK had accused the United States of adopting a ''hostile policy'' against Pyongyang.

In addition to calling for the resumption of the six-party talks, DPRK authorities also said that they are ready to dismantle their nuclear weapons in efforts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula.

''I think that according to what I have been told they are ready to reach the objectives of the dismantlement of their nuclear weapons,'' Ping said.

The DPRK officials told Ping that their nuclear program had been undertaken as a means of defending themselves, rather than as a means of attacking other countries.

Ping also reiterated the point that if the DPRK did not feel these hostilities then they would not feel the need to protect themselves from any such attack.

The DPRK insists that further steps must be taken to change the climate of the six-party talks.

''The climate should not be a climate of confrontation,'' Ping said. ''We should improve the climate. I am optimistic.''

So far Ping has debriefed officials from South Korea, China and the United States on his recent visit and must confer next with Japanese and Russian representatives.

Source: Kyodo News