Pressure on Pyongyang could escalate tensions: Putin

Moscow, Oct 25 (UNI) Russian President Vladimir Putin today cautioned the international community against making North Korea into a ''hermit and recluse nation'', which will leave the impoverished country with no option but to ''increase tensions''.

''You should never drive one of the participants of the talks into a corner, and you should never put one of the parties in a situation in which it has no other way out but to exacerbate the situation,'' Mr Putin said during his 5th annual televised question-answer session.

He added a solution could be found ''with a goodwill''.

Mr Putin stressed that ''discord at the six-nation talks on North Korea's nuclear programme, was one of the reasons that drove Pyongyang to conduct a nuclear test on October 9''.

''One of the reasons of the nuclear test was the failure of some parties at the talks to find a proper tone,'' he said.

He said the ''diplomacy'' should be the only way for the international community to dissuade the impoverished nation from further nuclear tests.

''The only way out of the current situation is the resumption of the six-nation talks,'' Mr Putin noted.

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