Russia, DPRK consult nuclear program settlement

Diplomats from Russia and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) met Thursday with a focus on the prospects for resuming six-party talks on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. "The sides conferred on the current condition and prospects of bilateral relations and the situation on the Korean Peninsula, accentuating the nuclear problem settlement," Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Talks between Russian First Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Titov and his DPRK counterpart Kim Kye Gwan lasted for about five hours, the Interfax news agency reported. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov also attended the meeting. The ministry said joint efforts were needed on easing tensions and fostering the soonest resumption of the six-party negotiations involving the DPRK, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Japan, China, the U.S. and Russia.