US warns N. Korea against provocations

BEIJING (AFP) - The US pointman for North Korea on Monday warned Pyongyang against any provocation during a rare period of near simultaneous political transition in nations encouraging it to abandon nuclear weapons.

Mr Glyn Davies is wrapping up talks over the past week in Japan, South Korea and China on their common goal of denuclearising North Korea and achieving peace and stability on the Korean peninsula.

Those countries along with Russia have for years been working to persuade Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear programme via a framework of on-again, off-again negotiations known as the six-party talks.

Mr Davies, Washington's special representative on North Korean policy, highlighted that a majority of members of the grouping are entering a period of elections or political change of some kind.