Thursday, July 6 2006 12:11 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Washington: President George W. Bush said yesterday (July 5, 2006) the failure of North Korea's long-range missile test does not lessen the need to push the communist regime to give up its nuclear weapons program.

"One thing we have learned is that the rocket didn'tstay up for very long,'' Bush said about the Taepodong-2 missile that failed 42 seconds after liftoff Tuesday.

"It tumbled into the sea," he said.

"It doesn't diminish my desire to solve this problem,'' he said.

The administration's message was that it wouldn't allow the latest tensions to be seen as a Washington-Pyongyang problem, saying expressions of revulsion around the world dramatized widespread concern over North Korea's intentions.

Bush said North Korea's barrage of seven missile tests further isolated Pyongyang from the rest of the world. But he addressed the issue in a subdued manner without the harsh warnings that he had issued as recently as last week when he said that a missile launch would be unacceptable.

After wing an Oval Office meeting with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, Bush also reiterated the U.S. desire to approach the problem through multilateral, not one-on-one talks with the reclusive communist nation.

"The North Korean government can join the community of nations and prove its lot by acting in concert with those of us who believe that she shouldn't project nuclear weapons and with those of us who believe that there is a positive way forward for the North Korean government and her people,'' Bush said.

"This is a choice they make,'' he said.