The leaders of the main denominations in the US have signed a statement commending the Bush administration for its successful diplomatic efforts towards the denuclearisation of North Korea. The UN confirmed Wednesday that the secluded communist country had closed all five of its major nuclear facilities.

The announcement came from North Korea early on Monday as the six-party nations gathered in Beijing to discuss the country's nuclear weapons programme.

The Church leaders signing the statement included the Rev Dr Stan Hastey, Executive Director of the Alliance of Baptists, Bishop Janice Riggle Huie, President of the Council of Bishops of the United Methodist Church, the Rev Dr Clifton Kirkpatrick, Stated Clerk of the Presbyterian Church in the USA, and the Most Rev Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the USA.

They said in the statement that the denuclearisation agreement reached with North Korea was "an important step toward halting the production of nuclear bomb material in that nation" and enhancing international security.

"The agreement with North Korea demonstrates the value of diplomacy in preventing the spread of nuclear weapons," the statement read. "It validates the preferential use of words, rather than war, as a response to conflict.

"Our religious traditions teach that efforts should be made to explore every alternative in resolving a conflict before going to war."

The Church leaders went on to urge the Bush administration to pursue a similar diplomatic strategy with Iran by engage in direct negotiations to halt the spread of nuclear weapons in the Middle East.