Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov exchanged views on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue during a telephone conversation Monday, according to sources with the Foreign Ministry.  

The conversation follows an announcement last week by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) that it has nuclear weapons.

Lavrov was quoted as saying that Russia was greatly concerned about the latest developments and said the issue should be resolved within the framework of the six-party talks.

Russia was willing to keep in touch and coordinate with China in this regard, he said.

Li told Lavrov that China firmly stood for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the maintenance of peace and stability.

China was ready to work with all relevant parties, including Russia, to push forward the process of the six-party talks, Li was quoted as saying.

Since August 2003, China, the US, the DPRK, Russia, the Republic of Korea and Japan have held three rounds of talks in Beijing aimed at peacefully resolving the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula.

Pyongyang announced on Thursday to suspend participation in the six-party talks for an indefinite period of time.

(China Daily February 15, 2005)