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Defense chiefs of the United States and Russia, two member nations of the North Korean nuclear disarmament talks, will meet in Alaska this weekend amid speculation that Pyongyang may be preparing for its first nuclear test.

Press reports here quoted a Pentagon spokesman as saying that North Korea's nuclear program is on the agenda between U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Ivanov.

The spokesman said the two countries will also talk about their bilateral military relations and the situation in the Middle East.

But Pentagon's press office, contacted separately, declined to give any further details about the Alaska meeting.

The U.S. and Russia are members of the six-party talks that also involve South and North Korea, China and Japan. The aim of the forum is to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula. The talks have been suspended since November due to Pyongyang's boycott.

Russia is believed to have influence with North Korea, with ties dating back to Soviet-era alliance. Together with China, Russia has often opposed strong punitive actions against North Korea at the United Nations.

Following its barrage of missile tests last month, North Korea is now suspected of preparing a nuclear test. It had declared in February last year that it possesses atomic weapons.

Washington, Aug. 25 (Yonhap News)