"If at some stage of consultations or negotiations, the sides deem Russia's participation necessary for a positive result, Russia will be prepared to contribute, "Ivanov said, acclaiming the start of the Beijing tripartite consultations on the nuclear stand off, Interfax news agency reported.

Ivanov noted that Russia had always advocated a political settlement of the Korean Peninsula via a dialogue, the format of which is for those involved to determine.

"We welcome the start of consultations in Beijing and will welcome every effort toward positive results, "Ivanov was quoted as saying.

"From the very start of this issue, Russia has been calling for political and diplomatic settlement, which would help to prevent the appearance of nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula, guarantee security and promote the development of regional countries, including the DPRK," an earlier Russian Foreign Ministry report said.

"Russia is ready to give whatever support it can in the process," the report said.

The nuclear crisis erupted last October when Washington said the DPRK had admitted to running a secret nuclear program in breach of a 1994 bilateral accord.

The US suspended fuel deliveries to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). In response, the DPRK kicked out international weapons inspectors, withdrew from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and later reactivated a nuclear reactor for purpose of generating electricity.

Pyongyang has preferred holding bilateral talks with the United States and Russia has been trying to arrange direct dialogues between the DPRK and the United States. However, Washington has rejected such negotiations, insisting on dealing with the issue within a multilateral framework.

Russia has been insisting on not taking part in multilateral negotiations that besides the United States and DPRK, include Russia, China, Japan and South Korea.

But following DPRK's softened stance on the crisis, Russia also made an abrupt shift in its policy to support direct Washington-Pyongyang talks.

(Xinhua News Agency April 24, 2003)