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Russia regrets DPRK's refusal to resume six-party talksMOSCOW, Jan 24, 2013 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- Russia regrets that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) refuses to resume talks with international negotiators, a high-ranking Russian diplomat said Thursday. Moscow will maintain its contacts with Pyongyang and "call for continuing the negotiating process on all other international platforms," Itar-Tass news agency quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov as saying. The UN Security Council on Tuesday passed unanimously a resolution condemning the DPRK's satellite launch on Dec. 12, 2012. The resolution also urges a peaceful, diplomatic and political resolution to relevant issues and a resumption of the six-party talks. The DPRK said Thursday it plans to conduct a new nuclear test and more rocket launches aimed at its "sworn enemy" of the United States. Meanwhile, it criticized the UN Security Council resolution that condemns the country's recent satellite launch, saying the six-party talks and the September 19 joint statement "will no longer exist." Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday that Moscow fully agreed with the UN resolution and urged the DPRK to " listen to the voice of the international community." The six-party talks, which involve the Republic of Korea, the DPRK, China, the United States, Japan and Russia, began in 2003 but stalled in December 2008. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] |