North Korea says it is willing to address American concerns over its nuclear weapons programme, if Washington agrees to a non-aggression treaty.

The US and its followers assert that negotiations should be held after the DPRK puts down its arms - this is very abnormal logic

N Korea statement

A Foreign Ministry statement, released by the state-run KCNA news agency, said Pyongyang was willing to make a deal with the US if it recognised North Korea's sovereignty and did not hinder its economic development.

But the ministry rejected US demands that it dismantle the nuclear programme.

It was the fullest response from Pyongyang to the crisis sparked by a US statement last week that North Korea had admitted to developing a secret nuclear weapons programme in contravention of a 1994 accord.

Pyongyang's offer came as President George Bush prepared to discuss the issue with the leaders of Japan and South Korea at a Pacific Rim summit in Mexico this weekend.

Treaty 'nullified'

US President George Bush - who included North Korea in his "axis of evil" together with Iraq and Iran - said this week he believed North Korea could be disarmed peacefully.

But Pyongyang dismissed demands for the dismantlement of its nuclear programme before any negotiations.

"The US and its followers assert that negotiations should be held after the DPRK (North Korea) puts down its arms - this is very abnormal logic," the Foreign Ministry statement said.

"How can the DPRK counter any attack with empty hands? Their assertion is little short of demanding the DPRK yield to pressure, which means death."

Last week, Washington said it would consult with allies before deciding on the future of the 1994 deal, under which the US provides fuel and assistance with building power stations in exchange for North Korea abandoning a nuclear weapons programme.

But US Secretary of State Colin Powell warned the treaty had been effectively nullified by the North's admission and announced it would consider whether to continue aid to the Communist country.