Saturday, March 18 2006 10:50 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Sydney: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her counterparts from Australia and Japan today(Mar 18,2006) called on Iran to suspend all uranium enrichment activities and resume negotiations over its disputed nuclear programme.

In a joint statement following trilateral regional security talks, they also called on North Korea to unconditionally and immediately return to six-party nuclear talks.

"We have grave concerns about Iran's nuclear programme and discussed the need for concerted action at the UN Security Council to convince Iran to promptly suspend all enrichment related activities, fully cooperate with the IAEA, return to negotiations and take all steps called for by the IAEA board," she said.

Today's trilateral talks, which brought together Rice, Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer and Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso, also explored China's rapid economic and military expansion.

China's parliament last week approved a 14.7 per cent increase in its annual military budget to US$ 35 billion.

Prior to leaving Washington last week, Rice said the three countries must ensure that a buildup in China's military spending was 'not outsized for China's regional ambitions and interests' sparking concern that the United States would pursue a policy of containment.

Downer sought to downplay such concerns when he addressed reporters following the talks.

"It is not for China to think we are ganging up on China or that Australia is suddenly changing its policy on China," he said.

"We certainly don't have a policy of containment," she said.

"The statement made scant reference to China, merely welcoming its constructive engagement in the region," she said.