By Scott Stearns
Washington
06 July 2006

President Bush says the international community is united in its desire to convince North Korea to give up nuclear weapons.Mr. Bush is consulting with world leaders ahead of possible U.N. sanctions.

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George Bush   
  
President Bush has now spoken with the leaders of Japan, South Korea, China and Russia since the North Korean missile tests. He says all five members of the six-party talks with Pyongyang are united in working to make the Korean peninsula free of nuclear weapons.

"My message was that we want to solve this problem diplomatically and the best way to solve the problem diplomatically is for all of us to be working in concert and send one message to Kim Jung Il," he said. "And that is that we expect you to adhere to international norms and we expect you to keep your word."

Japan has delivered a strong message, putting forward a U.N. resolution calling for sanctions that Washington supports.

Russia and China want a less-binding resolution. President Bush says diplomacy takes awhile, particularly when dealing with more than one partner. He says U.S. diplomats are working hard to make sure allies speak with one voice.

Following telephone calls Wednesday with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and South Korean leader Roh Moo Hyun, President Bush Thursday spoke with Chinese leader Hu Jintao and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

He says all are concerned about the North Korean leader, who Mr. Bush says, does not seem to really care about what other people say.

"We are dealing with a person who was asked not to fire a rocket by the Chinese, the South Koreans, the United States, the Japanese, and the Russians, and he fired seven of them," he said.

Mr. Bush spoke to reporters during his public appearance with Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper. 

Picture from file video of unidentified North Korean missile launch   
  
President Bush says part of the problem is that it is difficult to tell what is going on in non-transparent societies run by governments that are not elected by the people.

He says it is important to show the North Korean leader that there is a better way forward and a better life for his people through verifiably disarming nuclear weapons.

North Korea says its missile tests were successful and plan to carry out more launches. White House spokesman Tony Snow said Pyongyang should cease and desist from any further tests.

The top American envoy to the North Korean nuclear talks, Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill is heading to Asia for talks in Beijing, Seoul, and Tokyo.