The United States said on Tuesday that the New York talks between officials from Washington and Pyongyang over the resumption of the six-party talks remains possible although "it's not a negotiating channel".

"The New York channel obviously exists and it remains open, and we'll use it when we deem it appropriate, as we have in the past," acting State Department spokesman Tom Casey told a news briefing.

However, Casey noted, "it's not a negotiating channel, it's not a replacement or substitute for the six-party talks.

"We put forward a good proposal at the last round of six-party talks...We'd certainly like to hear back from the North Koreans about that and think another round of six-party talks would be the way to do that."

On Nov. 30 and Dec. 3 of last year, officials of the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) had two rounds of talks in New York over the resumption of the six-party talks which was designed to solve the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsular.

In stead of having negotiation with the DPRK, Washington said, the bilateral talks was aimed at telling Pyongyang that the US was ready to resume the six-party talks without precondition.

Three rounds of the six-party talks, involving the Republic of Korea, China, Japan and Russia in addition to the US and the DPRK, have been held to try to resolve the nuclear confrontation between the US and the DPRK.

The six-party talks have been stalled since June last year as the DPRK accused the United States of adopting a hostile policy towards Pyongyang.

(Xinhua News Agency May 11, 2005)