The United States is focused on having North Korea return to six-party talks to curb its nuclear ambitions and provocative actions only further isolate Pyongyang, the White House said on Wednesday. White House spokesman Scott McClellan said he would not comment on reports that North Korea had finished extracting nuclear fuel rods at its Yongbyon plant and taken steps to expand its atomic arsenal. "All parties that are participants in the six-party talks are concerned about North Korea's behavior and that's why we want to get them back to the six-party talks. That's where our focus is, that's where our focus remains," McClellan told reporters. "The provocative statements and actions by North Korea only further isolate it from the international community," he added. Talks involving North and South Korea, the United States, Japan, Russia and China aimed at dismantling the impoverished North's nuclear programs have been stalled since the last meeting in June 2004, Reuters said. North Korea said in February it had nuclear weapons and was pulling out of the six-country talks. Intelligence agencies are trying to determine whether North Korea might be preparing for a nuclear test. --More 2156 Local Time 1856 GMT
