South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon made telephone conversation with his new US counterpart Condoleezza Rice on Monday night, pledging to work closely together to resolve the standoff of nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, reported South Korean Yonhap News Agency on Tuesday.

Ban proposed to deal with the nuclear issue as a top priority issue and Rice agreed, Yonhap quoted South Korean Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lee Kyu-hyung as reporting.

The two top diplomats also shared the view that it is time for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to return to negotiating table, now that US President George W. Bush's second-term security line-up has taken shape, the spokesman said.

Pyongyang was reportedly said it would wait and see how the second-term Bush administration shapes its policy on the DPRK.

China, the DPRK, the US, Russia, South Korea and Japan have held three rounds of six-party nuclear talks aimed to solve nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, but the fourth round of such talks has been delayed.

Ban also told Rice that he wants to have a broader consultation with her in Washington at an early date and Rice said she would welcome it, the spokesman said.

Rice also said she wants to visit the Northeast Asia in the near future, Lee said.

Source: Xinhua