Ivanov hints at resumption of six-party talks on Nkorea nuke issue

Moscow, Nov 1 (UNI) Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov today said North Korea was likely to ''return'' to the six-nation talks this year.

''After the imposition of sanctions, North Korea must respond and return to the six-nation talks. According to information available to us, North Korea wants to come back to the six-party talks and they could resume this year, most probably in China,'' Mr Ivanov told Russia Today television.

Russia will be actively involved in the talks, he stressed, adding Russia will insist on complete termination of nuclear tests in the country.

''Since we have voted for the UN Security Council's resolution on sanctions responding to proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and involving the non-transfer of nuclear technology to North Korea, we will, of course, insist that all experiments, research programmes and military nuclear programmes be terminated,'' Mr Ivanov added..

He said, on the other hand, Russia understood North Korea's concerns about its national security. Security guarantees must be given to Pyongyang on a bilateral or multilateral basis, he stressed.

The six-party talks -- which include North and South Korea, Japan, Russia, China and the United States -- have been suspended for the past year. It aims at persuading North Korea to call off its nuclear weapons programme.

UNI XC KD VV1926