UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said Wednesday he was encouraged by the prospect that six-nation talks aimed at getting North Korea to freeze its nuclear weapons programme could resume.His announcement came a day after the isolated Stalinist state offered to refrain from testing and producing nuclear weapons in what it said was a "bold concession" to the United States.
"The secretary general feels that there is a growing momentum for the resumption of the six-party talks," Annan spokesman Fred Eckhard said.
"While urging the parties to the talks to intensify their preparations, the secretary general is encouraged by the recent statement by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, as well as the response to it by the countries concerned."
In unusually upbeat comments, US Secretary of State Colin Powell responded by saying he was encouraged by North Korea's offer, which raised fresh hopes of a breakthrough in the crisis.
China has been trying to convene a new round of talks over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programme that would also include the United States, North Korea, Russia, South Korea and Japan.
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