"North Korea has agreed to the multilateral approach that we long sought. That will include six-party talks," McClellan told reporters.

"In terms of the actual details and timing, these are still being worked out with our friends and allies," he added.

North Korea said Friday it had proposed six-way talks to end the nuclear crisis after receiving assurances from Washington that one-on-one talks with the United States would also take place.

In addition to North Korea, the five remaining parties slated to be involved in the talks are China, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United States.

Differences over format have been an obstacle to talks for months, with North Korea insisting on negotiating only with the United States and Washington saying that other countries should be involved.

"We intend to continue working closely with other parties to make sure that North Korea completely, visibly and irreversibly eliminates its nuclear weapons program and begins to move to a more normal relationship with its neighbors and the international community," McClellan said.

Asked why Washington insisted on multilateral talks with Pyongyang, he noted that "the bilateral approach did not work. North Korea did not abide by its commitment."

And he added that North Korea's neighbors "realize the importance of a non-nuclear peninsula.

"That's important to the whole region, and if we have to advance forward on the substance of talks, then those parties need to be included."

WAR.WIRE