The United States said Monday it would like to hold bilateral talks with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) within the framework of the six-party negotiations.

"The United States remains willing to engage North Korea (DPRK) bilaterally within the framework of the six-party process to convince North Korea (DPRK) to take the path of complete denuclearization," US State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said

He made the remarks in response to DPRK's announcement that it was ready to return to multilateral talks, including the six-party talks, depending on the progress of the DPRK-US talks.

"We and our six-party partners want North Korea (DPRK) to engage in a dialogue that leads to complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean peninsula through irreversible steps," Kelly said.

"The United States remains committed to the goal of the September 2005 joint statement: the verifiable denuclearization of the Korean peninsula in a peaceful manner," he said.

The six parties -- China, DPRK, Japan, Russia, South Korea, and the United States -- made a joint statement in 2005 under which Pyongyang agreed to end its nuclear program in exchange for economic aid and security guarantees.

In April, Pyongyang withdrew from the six-party talks after the UN Security Council adopted a presidential statement condemning the country's rocket launch, which the DPRK claimed had sent a satellite into orbit.

When meeting visiting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Monday, DPRK top leader Kim Jong Il said that the denuclearization of the peninsula was the behest of the late leader Kim Il Sung.

"The hostile relations between the DPRK and the United States should be converted into peaceful ties through the bilateral talks without fail," he said.

"We expressed our readiness to hold multilateral talks, depending on the outcome of the DPRK-US talks. The six-party talks are also included in the multilateral talks," he added.

"Our efforts to attain the goal of denuclearizing the peninsula remain unchanged," Kim said.