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Tuesday, Oct 10, 2006
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International

Russia condemns nuclear test

Vladimir Radyuhin

— PHOTO: AP

GLOBAL CONCERN: People read papers reporting North Korea's nuclear test, in Tokyo on Monday.

MOSCOW:

Russia has strongly condemned the nuclear test carried out by North Korea and called on Pyongyang to return to the six-party talks.

"We unconditionally condemn the test carried out in North Korea," Russian President Vladimir Putin said, emphasising the "huge damage" the test caused to international non-proliferation efforts.

The Russian Defence Ministry said it had detected an underground explosion of a 5 to 15-megaton nuclear device in North Korea.

Moscow said the test can only "aggravate all existing problems and jeopardise peace, security and stability in the region."

North Korea's ambassador was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry where he was told that Moscow expects Pyongyang to resume the six-party talks on its nuclear programme stalled since last November.

"We demand that North Korea immediately take steps to return to the nuclear non-proliferation regime and to resume the six-nation talks," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. At the same time Moscow urged "restraint" from all countries.

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