Downer, who flew to Pyongyang Tuesday, held separate talks with his North Korean counterpart Paek Nam-Sun and parliamentary head Kim Yong-Nam, the official Korean Central News Agency said.

"At the talks both sides exchanged views on a series of issues of bilateral concern including the nuclear issue," the agency said without elaborating.

At a press conference held before departing Pyongyang, the Australian foreign minister said, "views on solving the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula were exchanged at the talks" held Wednesday in the capital.

Downer's North Korea visit came as Pyongyang expressed skepticism about attending a preparatory meeting for the next round of six-nation talks due next month in an effort to end the nuclear stand-off.

Downer had asserted that Australia had an important role to play in resolving the near two-year impasse over the North's nuclear weapons drive.

Australia is one of a few US allies which maintains diplomatic ties with North Korea.

A third round of talks which brought together the United States, the two Koreas, China, Japan and Russia in Beijing ended in June without tangible progress.

The nuclear stand-off flared up in October 2002 when the United States accused North Korea of operating a nuclear weapons program based on enriched uranium, violating a 1994 nuclear safeguard accord.

WAR.WIRE