United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan appealed Monday for an early resumption of the six-party talks over the nuclear issues on the Korean Peninsula during his visit to South Korea.

"I would urge parties in the six-way talks not to slow the efforts, but preserve and press ahead and get everybody back to the table to continue the discussions, because it is only at the table that we are going to find a resolution," Annan said at a joint news conference with South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki- moon after their meeting.

"I think in terms of priority, the nuclear issue (on the Korean Peninsula) is by far the most important and should be given a separate category and priority as compared to human rights and other activities," Annan said.

Annan, who is on a two-week Asian tour including South Korea, Japan, China and Vietnam to seek supports for UN reforms, stressed that the international community has to take "very urgent steps" to deal with the nuclear issues before "a cascade of a proliferation of nuclear weapons."

"I am encouraged by diplomatic efforts to resolve this peacefully and seek a negotiated settlement," Annan told the conference when he was questioned with the nuclear issue in Iran.

The six-party talks, composing the two Koreas, China, the United States, Russia and Japan, has been suspended since the last session which ended in September last year. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea accused the United States of conducting economic sanctions against it and set the lift of the sanctions as a precondition for the resumption of the six-party talks.

Annan arrived in Seoul on Sunday and will leave for Japan on Tuesday.

During his stay in Seoul, he also met with South Korean National Assembly Speaker Kim One-ki and gave a lecture at the Seoul National University.

Source: Xinhua