U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski urged the Bush administration on Wednesday to focus on resolving the nuclear issue of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"The United States must focus its efforts toward North Korea first and foremost on the nuclear issue," said Murkowski, a Republican and also chairwoman of a Senate panel on Asia-Pacific affairs, at the Washington-based Asia Society.

"We need to solve the nuclear issue first, and then concentrate on getting North Korea to act on other areas of concern," Murkowski said.

The Senator urged the government to take confidence and trust- building steps with the DPRK.

"What I am advocating for is the willingness of the United States to take confidence and trust-building steps with North Korea within the context of the six-party talks -- such as having our negotiator go to Pyongyang -- not in the context of bilateral negotiations as North Korea has asked for, but in the context of an opportunity to build trust," Murkowski said.

The Bush administration has rejected the idea of allowing Christopher Hill, head of the U.S. delegation to the six-party talks, to go to Pyongyang, although the DPRK has invited Hill to go there.

During the last round of six-party talks in Beijing in September last year, the DPRK agreed to dismantle its nuclear program in return for security guarantees and energy aids.

However, the DPRK has said it will not return to the talks if the United States does not lift the sanctions imposed on the country last year.

Source: Xinhua