Washington - The six-nation negotiations aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear programme could resume as early as Monday, the US State Department said Friday.

China, which hosts the talks that include Japan, Russia, the United States and two Koreas, is looking to determine exactly when the meeting can take place, deputy spokesman Tom Casey said.

"I would think you could certainly count on it in the very near future, and we would hope as soon as Monday," Casey said.

North Korea complied with a key agreement of the February 2007 disarmament pact by submitting a document disclosing its nuclear activities dating back two decades on Thursday in Beijing.

That move paved the way for the resumption of the six-party talks to implement the agreement.

North Korea took another step on Friday by blowing up the cooling tower at its nuclear reactor at Yongbyon as a step toward disabling the facility. North Korea invited western television cameras into the country to record the moment.

But Casey played down the tower's destruction, saying other steps being taken by North Korea, including the removal of fuel from the facility, were more important toward ensuring Yongbyon is permanently disabled.

"Frankly, while the cooling tower, while I think visually appealing in some ways - who doesn't like a good explosion? - is not perhaps the most significant of the steps they are taking," he said. (dpa)