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North Korea should immediately take the steps toward denuclearization it promised at the six-nation talks, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Tuesday.

"We agreed that we must continue to expect North Korea to immediately fulfill its initial action agreement," she said after joint talks with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and their Japanese counterparts.

"We don't have endless patience," she told reporters.

The U.S. and Japan are members of what is known as the six-party process, also involving South and North Korea, Russia and China. An agreement signed on Feb. 13 in Beijing commits North Korea to shut down its key nuclear facilities and invite back international inspectors within 60 days, which was April 14.

In return, North Korea would receive 50,000 tons of heavy fuel oil and additional assistance phased with further steps to denuclearize.

Pyongyang, however, has refused to carry out the initial actions, demanding first a full resolution of a banking issue surrounding US$25 million a Macanese bank previously froze but agreed last month to release.

North Korea issued statements and wrote to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog, saying it will implement the Feb. 13 deal as soon as the banking dispute is settled.

Rice said the six-party members "do recognize" these statements.

"We do expect North Korea to fulfill obligations under the initial actions agreement of Feb. 13," she said. "It is indeed extremely important, because there are a number of steps that others would then, of course, be willing to take."

Rice hosted the annual U.S.-Japan talks, commonly called "2+2," on bilateral security cooperation.

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso said the regional situation has grown more uncertain and unstable from North Korea's missile and nuclear tests and from China's anti-satellite missile launch last year.

"In this circumstance, the two nations confirmed the importance of strengthening cooperation not only between the U.S. and Japan but with partners in the Asian-Pacific region," he said.

Gates said Pyongyang's actions reminded the U.S. and its allies of the potential threats.

"In this context, our cooperation validated the previous investments we have made... while reminding us of the work that remains to be done," he said.

A joint statement from the talks says the two countries will expand intelligence cooperation and information sharing. It also pledges bolstering ballistic missile defense capabilities to respond against threats and to ensure tactical, operational and strategic coordination.

While expressing full support for the six-party agreement, the statement also calls for swift and full implementation of the U.N. Security Council resolution 1718, a sanctions resolution adopted against North Korea following Pyongyang's nuclear test in October.

Washington, May 1 (Yonhap News)