US Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Sunday that his government wants to find a diplomatic solution to the crisis over the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK's) nuclear issue and is not trying to bring down the Pyongyang government.

In an interview with selected US news outlets, Powell said his job, as well as US President George W. Bush's policy, is to deal with the DPRK government to settle the standoff between Washington and Pyongyang.

Powell said he does not believe the DPRK government is on the verge of collapse, as suggested by some other US officials.

"I don't have a basis for saying there is an imminent collapse," he said.

The release of Powell's interview by the State Department on Sunday came two days after Pyongyang expressed willingness to consider a US proposal for a multilateral forum, which involves the United States, the DPRK, China, South Korea, Japan and Russia,on the DPRK's nuclear issue.

(Xinhua News Agency   August 4, 2003)