A senior Russian diplomat on Tuesday urged the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to resume the six-nation talks over the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula as soon as possible.

"We hope that the six-party process will be resumed in the near future, and the fourth round of the six-party talks will be held soon," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alexeyev was cited by Interfax news agency as saying.

Russia "stands firmly and consistently against the presence of nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula and for the full denuclearization of the region," said Alexeyev while addressing a reception marking the DPRK leader Kim Jong Il's birthday at the DPRK Embassy.

Alexeyev reiterated Russia's "clear and sincere" position over the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula that Russia favors a stable economic development in the region and development of inter-Korean relations.

Pyongyang announced last Thursday that it was indefinitely suspending its participation in the six-party talks aimed at defusing the nuclear standoff on the Korean Peninsula.

Other participants in the talks -- the United States, South Korea, Japan, Russia and China-- have since then called on DPRK to return to negotiations.

Russia is interested in "the calm and steady socioeconomic development of the regions bordering on Russia," said Alexeyev.

Claiming that Moscow and Pyongyang enjoy "good and trusting relations," Alexeyev vowed that "we are doing all we can to develop economic cooperation."

Source: Xinhua