Russia reiterates rejection of North Korea's nuclear programs

MOSCOW, Nov 24 (KUNA) -- Russia reiterated Friday its rejection of North Korea's nuclear and rocket programs.
Russia calls for resumption of the six-party talks, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in a press conference following his talks with Japan's Foreign Minister Taro Kono in Moscow.
He said that his country and China insist on the importance of implementing UNSC resolutions on prohibition of nuclear weapons, recalling the Russian-Chinese joint initiative to defuse Korean peninsula's nuclear crisis.
Lavrov also warned of the use of the military option to solve the crisis in the Korean peninsula, saying that such a "scenario" carries along with it massive destruction and death to millions of people.
The Russian minister affirmed his country's willingness to exert all efforts to dissuade any military confrontation between Washington and Pyongyang, and resume the negotiation process.
Meanwhile, Kono said that his country does not seek to change the North Korean regime, but believes it necessary to increase pressure on Pyongyang to make it abandon its nuclear and missile programs.
The Japanese minister also said that his country and Russia have agreed to continue cooperation on resolving the situation in the Korean Peninsula. (end) as.ma