Phuket, Thailand - US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton Wednesday said a consensus was taking shape among major powers to demand the "complete and irreversible denuclearisation" of North Korea.

After meetings with her counterparts from China, Russia and Thailand, Clinton called for a united stand to ensure North Korea shuts down its nuclear weapons programme.

"All the foreign ministers agreed that a complete and irreversible denuclearisation is the only path for North Korea," Clinton said.

North Korea's nuclear weapons programme has become a key issue at Asia's main security forum on the Thai resort island of Phuket.

Thailand, as current chair of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), is hosting the forum.

North Korea, although a member of the ASEAN Regional Forum, is the only country that has refused to send its foreign minister to the meeting.

Instead, Pyongyang has appointed an ambassador to attend Thursday's event.

The forum consists of ASEAN's 10 members as well as Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, North and South Korea, Mongolia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua Guinea, Russia, Sri Lanka, East Timor, and the United States.

ASEAN consists of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.(dpa)