Bush calls on North Korea to return to nuclear talks

President &to=http://english.pravda.ru/mailbox/22/101/399/15427_Bush.html' target=_blank>George W. Bush called Thursday for North Korea to return to stalled six-nation nuclear talks, but he said the United States would stand firm in its attempts to stop the North's alleged counterfeiting program.

"We are aggressively saying to the North Koreans, 'Don't counterfeit our money,' and we are working with others to prevent them from illicit activities," Bush said. "If someone is cheating on us, then we need to stop them."

Bush, however, said negotiations by the United States, the Koreas, China, Russia and Japan to rid the North of its nuclear programs were "hopeful and positive," adding that the six-nation framework "can eventually yield to a peaceful settlement of the issue."