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Australia's foreign minister will visit North Korea later this month as part of international efforts to convince the volatile state to abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions, it was announced Thursday. Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said he would travel to North Korea on August 17 and 18 after a two-day stop in Beijing for talks with senior Chinese leaders. While in Beijing, Downer will also meet with US National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice about his peace mission to Pyongyang, The Australian newspaper reported. The United States and China have been leading so-called six-party talks aimed at convincing Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons program and ease tensions between North and South Korea. Downer said the most recent round of talks in June had been encouraging and prompted his rare trip to the reclusive Stalinist state to follow up on proposals put to North Korea to assist in dismantling its nuclear program. The talks involve China, the United States, Russia, North Korea, South Korea and Japan. "I was encouraged by the signs of more positive momentum at the six-party meeting," he said in a statement. "I will urge the Pyongyang leadership to grasp this opportunity," he said. "Its reengagement with the international community would clearly benefit the DPRK (North Korea), but would also contribute to regional security. "I will also underline Australia's strong support for engagement and cooperation between North and South Korea -- which is crucial to maintaining stability on the Korean peninsula." Australia was one of the first Western nations to reestablish diplomatic relations with North Korea when it restored ties in 2000 and Downer visited Pyongyang a first time shortly thereafter. While Australia is not a party to the six-nation talks on North Korea, Downer said the Canberra government had communicated "closely and unambiguously" with Pyongyang over the past two years as regional tensions have escalated over the nuclear issue. Bilateral relations were soured last year after Australia seized a North Korean freighter after a high seas chase and accused its crew of smuggling 125 kilograms (275 pounds) of heroin into the country. Among those arrested on the ship was an official from North Korea's ruling Workers' Party. North Korea has frequently been accused of smuggling drugs and weapons as a means of shoring up its economy. All rights reserved. Copyright 2003 Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse. Quick Links
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