PYONGYANG, March 11 (Xinhuanet) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Saturday decided to postpone the 18th Inter-Korea Ministerial Talks due to joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea, said the official Korean Central News Agency.

    "It is our stand that the hostile war exercises and peaceful dialogue cannot go together," said a telephone message from Kwon Ho Ung, head of the DPRK's delegation to the talks, to his counterpart Ri Jong Sok.

    "The wrong behavior of your side makes it impossible to hold the 18th North-South Ministerial Talks in Pyongyang as scheduled,"the message said, noting it is "contrary to the June 15 joint declaration and the desire of the whole nation for peace."

    The 18th round of the ministerial meeting, this year's first, was planned to be held in Pyongyang from March 28 to March 31.

    The talks would be put off "till an appropriate date in April",said the message.

    The delay came one day after the a statement of the Public Affairs Office of the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command, saying the two annual exercises -- Foal Eagle and RSOI (Reception,Staging, Onward Movement and Integration) -- are to be held on March 25-31 in South Korea.

    Meanwhile, South Korea expressed regret over the postponement of the Inter-Korean ministerial talks.

    The South Korean Unification Ministry said, "The delay is hard to understand as we have repeatedly made it clear that the joint military exercise with the U.S. is aimed at defense and conducted annually."

    South Korean and U.S. forces have conducted Foal Eagle since 1964 and RSOI since 1994, and the two exercises have been held at the same time since 2002. Enditem