Moscow: Russia on January 24 said that it would block the US proposal for raising the issue of North Korea's secret nuclear programme at the UN Security Council.

Moscow will not support the US proposal to raise the issue of North Korean nuclear crisis at the Security Council, as it was 'premature', said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov, who had held long parleys in Pyongyang as with the North Korean leader Kim Jong I1.

According to him, the attempts to raise this issue at the UN Security Council will be regarded in Pyongyang as additional attempts to bring pressure on the DPRK (Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea), RIA Novosti reported.

"The adoption of any economic sanctions may be regarded by the North Korean leadership as the declaration of war," Losyukov was quoted as saying by the agency.

According to him, the same position is shared by Beijing.

Losyukov also said that his contacts with the North Korean leadership made it clear that North Korea is ready to start negotiations with the USA without any preliminarily conditions.

In his telephonic conversation on January 23, President Vladimir Putin has briefed US President George W Bush on the outcome of Russia's Pyongyang mission.

Losyukov said during his meeting with the visiting US Deputy State Secretary Richard Armitage on January 23, North Korea was also discussed in detail.

He also said that besides the US, briefs of his talks with the North Korean leader would also be made available to China, Japan, South Korea and "some other" nations.

PTI