Russia urges US restraint on eve of Korea talks

MOSCOW, Dec 16 (Reuters) Russia's foreign minister urged the United States today to avoid any action that might whip up emotion and derail a new round of six-way talks on North Korea's nuclear weapons programme.

Sergei Lavrov, in televised comments, singled out sanctions imposed by Washington on Pyongyang after an October 9 nuclear weapons test.

The freezing of North Korean accounts at the Macau-based Banco Delta Asia had ''stopped in its tracks'' progress achieved at previous talks involving the two Koreas, China, the United States, Russia and Japan, he said.

''If any such harsh steps are taken now by one or other of the sides, we will once again run into a blind alley,'' Lavrov said. ''I would appeal (for all sides) not to whip up emotion.'' Envoys from the six powers will resume their talks in Beijing on Monday to get Pyongyang to scrap its nuclear weapons programme in exchange for aid, greater diplomatic standing and pledges it will not be attacked.

Comments by North Korea and the United States -- the key protagonists -- on the eve of the talks suggest little prospect of a breakthrough.

Defying international warnings, North Korea test-fired missiles in July and conducted an underground nuclear tests in October.

REUTERS MS HS1702