Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Yury Fedotov on Wednesday said that putting the nuclear issue of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to the UN Security Council would hinder the process of resolving the problem, the Interfax news agency reported.

Fedotov said putting the issue to the UN Security Council "would mean undermining the process of its solution, which has barely started."

Russia's position "remains unchanged," Fedotov stated, "We stand for the continuation of six-party negotiations on the settlement of the North Korea problem."

The six-party talks involve the DPRK, the United States, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Russia and China.

Three rounds of the six-party talks, hosted by China, have been held to try to end the nuclear confrontation between the DPRK and the United States.

The fourth round of talks failed to happen before the end of September, which was scheduled by the six parties during their third-round meeting in June.

(Xinhua News Agency October 14, 2004)