Russia expects N Korea talks soon - agency

MOSCOW, Nov 1 (Reuters) Russia expects the first meeting of restarted six-country talks on North Korea's nuclear programme to take place soon, RIA news agency quoted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying today.

''The date for resuming the negotiations is under discussion at the moment. We expect it will not be too far off,'' the agency quoted Lavrov as saying.

The six-way talks -- which include North and South Korea, Japan, Russia, China and the United States -- have been suspended for the past year. Their aim is to persuade North Korea to scrap its nuclear weapons programme.

Pyongyang said today it agreed to a new round. International sanctions were imposed on North Korea after it tested a nuclear device three weeks ago.

REUTERS SP BST1708