WASHINGTON, May 1 (Xinhua) -- The United States and Japan called on Friday for a resumption of the six-party talks and urged the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to return to the talks without preconditions.

    The appeal was made in a joint statement after a meeting attended by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso and defense chief Fukushiro Nukaga.

    "The ministers reconfirmed a shared commitment to the Joint Statement of Six-Party talks, and urged North Korea to return expeditiously to the talks without preconditions," the statement said.

    The statement also urged the DPRK to dismantle its nuclear program "in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner" and "to cease all illicit and proliferation activities."

    The United States has urged the DPRK to return to the six-party talks at an early date. However, the DPRK has said it will not return to the talks if the United States does not lift the sanctions imposed on the country last year. Enditem