Russia voiced regret yesterday over North Korea's decision to boycott international talks on its nuclear disarmament and urged Pyongyang to return to the negotiations.North Korea vowed yesterday to restart its nuclear reactor and opt out of the six-party disarmament talks in retaliation against the UN Security Council's condemnation of its April 5 rocket launch. Russia's Foreign Ministry urged North Korea to rejoin the talks "in the interests of denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and finding reliable, peaceful ways of ensuring security in Northeast Asia for all states located in that region."

The ministry described the Security Council's statement on the rocket launch as "legitimate and well-balanced" and deplored Pyongyang's move.

Not much leverage

Russia has taken part in the six-party nuclear talks, but it's not believed to have much leverage with its former Cold War ally.

In an apparent attempt to protect whatever small influence it has with Pyongyang, the Russian statement yesterday sounded like an attempt to claim credit for averting tougher sanctions against the North.

"The Russian side is satisfied with the fact that the Council took not a resolution, but a statement by the Security Council president, which, in our opinion, has become an optimal solution under the present situation," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

The UN statement was weaker than the resolution Japan and the US had pursued.

The six-party talks involving the two Koreas, the US, China, Russia and Japan have focussed on getting Pyongyang to give up its nuclear programme in exchange for aid and other concessions. They have been fraught with repeated setbacks and delays.