Washington: In his first public reference to the China-North Korea-US talks that have just ended, Secretary of State Colin Powell said the US and all neighbours of North Korea have made it "absolutely clear" that "a nuclearised peninsula is unacceptable".

At the same time, he said, "North Korea has nothing to fear from denuclearisation. The nations in the region stand willing to help North Korea out of its isolation and out of the destitute circumstances in which its people live."

He also said President George W Bush remains convinced that a peaceful solution could be found.

Referring to Iraq, Powell stressed there is nothing incompatible between a Democratic form of government the US wants Iraq to adopt and Islam.

PTI