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Russians 'in N Korea test talks' Russians 'in N Korea test talks'
(about 1 hour later)
Russia says it is in direct contact with North Korea to try to prevent it from carrying out its plan to test a nuclear weapon.Russia says it is in direct contact with North Korea to try to prevent it from carrying out its plan to test a nuclear weapon.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow was talking to the North Korean leadership in an attempt to dissuade it from conducting a test.Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow was talking to the North Korean leadership in an attempt to dissuade it from conducting a test.
It comes two days after North Korea said it would test a nuclear weapon.It comes two days after North Korea said it would test a nuclear weapon.
The announcement drew warnings from the international community to North Korea not to take such a step.The announcement drew warnings from the international community to North Korea not to take such a step.
The secretive communist regime says it possesses nuclear weapons, but this has not been independently verified.The secretive communist regime says it possesses nuclear weapons, but this has not been independently verified.
Pyongyang has been involved in on-off six-party talks with Russia, the US, China, Japan and South Korea to resolve the crisis over its nuclear programme.Pyongyang has been involved in on-off six-party talks with Russia, the US, China, Japan and South Korea to resolve the crisis over its nuclear programme.
Aid deal
Earlier this week, US nuclear negotiator Christopher Hill said a nuclear test by North Korea would be regarded as a provocative act.Earlier this week, US nuclear negotiator Christopher Hill said a nuclear test by North Korea would be regarded as a provocative act.
Speaking to reporters while on a visit to Warsaw, Poland, Mr Lavrov said that in the interests of the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and security on the Korean peninsular, it was important that North Korea returned to the six-party negotiations. Aid deal
Mr Lavrov said he believed there were possibilities to get North Korea back to the negotiating table. Speaking to reporters while on a visit to Warsaw, Poland, Mr Lavrov said Moscow was working directly with the North Korean government to ease the situation.
"We are all very worried about this," the minister was quoted by AFP news agency as saying.
"We are talking about moves we can take and working directly with the leaders of North Korea to try to convince them to hold back from committing any act which could worsen the situation."
Mr Lavrov said that in the interests of the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and security on the Korean peninsular, it was important that North Korea returned to the six-party negotiations.
The most recent round of talks ended in September 2005, with a deal which promised economic aid in return for Pyongyang scrapping its nuclear ambitions.The most recent round of talks ended in September 2005, with a deal which promised economic aid in return for Pyongyang scrapping its nuclear ambitions.
That agreement, however, appears to have fallen apart over disagreements on its implementation.That agreement, however, appears to have fallen apart over disagreements on its implementation.
North Korea has not specified where or when a nuclear test might be carried out.
In continuing diplomatic efforts to defuse the crisis, South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun is due to hold talks with US President George W Bush in Washington on Thursday.
His visit comes amid talks of a split between Washington and Seoul on how to handle Pyongyang, after President Roh appeared to downplay North Korea's recent missile tests.