North Korea on Thursday expressed willingness to settle the nuclear issue during the forthcoming six-party talks.  

This will occur only if the US respects North Korea and its system and Washington is willing to build up confidence with the North by normalizing bilateral relations and maintaining peaceful coexistence with North Korea on a legal basis, a spokesperson for the North Korean Foreign Ministry said before the six-party talks.

"Not a single nuclear weapon will be needed for us if the US nuclear threat is removed and its hostile policy of 'bringing down North Korea's system' is withdrawn," the spokesperson added.

"It is important that the US changes its hostile policy toward North Korea and has the willingness to coexist with the North," the spokesperson said.

The US should respect North Korea's sovereignty and normalize political and economic relations with it, by delabelling North Korea as "a supporter of terrorism," lifting sanctions against it, and offering a "definite assurance" of non-aggression against it, the spokesperson stressed.

He also demanded the US not to disturb North Korea's economic cooperation with other countries.

The spokesperson stressed that it's North Korea's persistent attitude to realize the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and consultation.

It is essential for the relevant parties to hold in-depth discussion on the ways and methods to reach that goal during the coming talks, the spokesperson said.

He also thanked China for its efforts to resume the talks.

(Xinhua News Agency July 22, 2005)