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WASHINGTON - A top aide to President George W. Bush said it would be ill-advised of North Korea to take any provocative step to try to disrupt next week's Asia-Pacific summit in Vietnam.
Stephen Hadley, the White House national security adviser, said the United States, China, Japan, South Korea and Russia are working to establish the framework for a resumption of talks with North Korea over its nuclear weapons programme.
Asked if it was possible North Korea might take a belligerent step to disrupt the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit next week, Hadley said it was possible.
Bush is among world leaders who will attend the summit in Hanoi.
"It's possible that they would take some action. I think it would be very ill-advised. I think that by both their missile tests and their nuclear weapons test, it's pretty clear that they have alienated the international community," Hadley told reporters.
North Korea performed a test of what was believed to have been a small nuclear weapon in October, then subsequently bowed to pressure and agreed to return to six-party talks that have been stalled for over a year.
- REUTERS
