Former President George W. Bush called on America's partners in negotiations on North Korea's nuclear programme to send a strong and clear message to the regime to stop its atomic activity, a news report said yesterday.

The United States (US), South Korea, China, Japan and Russia should tell the North it will continue to face economic sanctions and other consequences if it insists on defying United Nation (UN) resolutions, Bush said in a speech to an economic forum on the South Korean southern resort island of Jeju, according to Yonhap news agency.

North Korea conducted its second nuclear test in May and a barrage of missile tests in July, drawing international condem-nation and new UN sanctions.

Bush's comments came as the US is moving to enforce UN as well as its own sanctions against the communist regime to punish the atomic test.

The UN sanctions strengthened an arms embargo and authorised ship searches on the high seas to try to rein in the nuclear programme. The council also ordered an asset freeze and travel ban on companies and individuals involved in the North's nuclear and weapons programme.

North Korea has rejected the UN resolutions and vowed not to return to the disarmament talks, saying the forum seeks only to "disarm and incapacitate" the nation.

The North, however, has recently suggested direct talks with the US could defuse tensions over its nuclear weapons programme.

Pyongyang has long sought one-on-one negotiations with Washing-ton, but the US has said it is willing to hold direct talks with Pyongyang only on the sidelines of six-party process. Washington believes that negotiating directly with Pyongyang outside the six-party framework would marginalise its two closest Asian allies, Japan and South Korea, and reward the North for belligerent behaviour.

But UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Wednesday he supports North Korea's willingness to engage in talks with the US.