The US point man on North Korea was due to leave Wednesday for Asia to discuss how to bring the reclusive Stalinist state back into nuclear disarmament negotiations. Ambassador Stephen Bosworth 'is going to the region today to continue consultations with our partners and allies,' State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said in a statement. Apart from saying Bosworth has 'no plans to travel to Pyongyang or to meet with North Korean officials,' Kelly gave no details of his itinerary. However, he is expected to travel to South Korea, Japan and China, which are Washington's partners in the six-party disarmament talks with North Korea. The other party in the talks is Russia. 'His goal is to explore how best to convince North Korea that it must live up to its obligations under the September 2005 Joint Statement and take irreversible steps toward complete denuclearization,' Kelly said. 'He will reaffirm our commitment to the September 2005 Joint Statement and the six-party process. He will discuss the role of bilateral talks with North Korea within the context of the six-party process,' he said. In the September 19, 2005 Joint Statement, the six parties unanimously reaffirmed the goal of verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner, according to the State Department website. North Korea in April quit the six-party negotiations in protest at the UN Security Council's censure of its long-range rocket launch the same month. In May, the North conducted its second nuclear test, incurring tougher sanctions that were even supported by its close ally China, which also chairs the talks. Kelly said Bosworth's 'consultations complement the ongoing efforts by' Philip Goldberg, the US official charged with implementing the sanctions. His visit to the region comes as Pyongyang steps up its charm offensive with a series of conciliatory gestures, including the release of US and South Korean citizens held by the reclusive state. 