Moscow, Oct 29: Russia welcomed today North Korea's decision to discuss an offer from the United States to offer written security assurances in return for the Communist state ending its nuclear weapons programme. North Korea signalled a shift in stance on Saturday when it said it was ready to consider President George W. Bush's offer of written security guarantees in return for scrapping its nuclear weapons research.
"Moscow noted this statement and sees it as a positive step from North Korea," the foreign ministry said in a statement posted on its internet site.
"On the whole, Russia welcomes any steps aimed at deescalating the tensions and finding diplomatic solutions to this problem, within the framework of six-nation negotiations," the statement said.
Moscow, which has attempted to mediate North Korea's nuclear standoff with the United States, has urged Washington to issue a formal security guarantee to Pyongyang.
Bureau Report