Russia changes lead negotiator in six-party talks

BEIJING, Dec 17 (Reuters) Russia has replaced its lead negotiator in six-party talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear weapons programme, the Russian embassy in Beijing and the Chinese Foreign Ministry said today.

The new lead negotiator is Russia's ambassador to China, Sergei Razov, replacing Alexander Alexeyev, deputy foreign minister in charge of Asia.

The Russian embassy gave no explanation for the change.

Delegations are arriving in Beijing this weekend, and talks between the two Koreas, the United States, Japan, Russia and China resume in Beijing tomorrow.

The Russian news agency Itar-Tass said Razov and his team would hold preliminary meetings today with the delegations of South Korea, Japan, China and possibly North Korea.

Razov, 53, has been ambassador to China since July 2005. A career diplomat, he has also served as ambassador to Mongolia and Poland and was a deputy minister of foreign affairs before his posting to Beijing.

Alexeyev had led the Russian delegation in the six-party talks on North Korea since August 2004. The 59-year-old career diplomat has a record of high-profile diplomatic posts, including ambassador to Pakistan and Russia's envoy to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

It was not immediately clear if Razov was replacing Alexeyev on a permanent basis or if the switch represented any tactical change in Russia's position at the talks.

Only on Friday, Alexeyev made upbeat comments to Interfax news agency about prospects for the forthcoming talks and said the Russian delegation was going to Beijing ''with hope and optimism''.

REUTERS SSC ND1510