By Shim Jae-yun
Korea Times Correspondent


President Roh Moo-hyun, right, talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin ahead of a ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of the allied victory in World War II, in Moscow, Monday. / Korea Times

MOSCOW _ President Roh Moo-hyun and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on Monday to keep the six-party talks afloat.

They also agreed on the need for the two nations to play more proactive roles in persuading North Korea to return to the six-way talks to settle the nuclear standoff in a peaceful manner.

The agreement came in a summit meeting at the Kremlin here just after a ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of the World War II victory, Chung Woo-sung, presidential secretary for foreign policy, said.

``Presidents Roh and Putin agreed that the situation involving the nuclear impasse has entered a serious stage and they shared the need to address the matter peacefully through dialogue,’’ an official from the presidential National Security Council now accompanying Roh on his visit to Moscow told The Korea Times.

Roh also had a meeting with U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan to discuss ways of resolving the nuclear standoff.

Roh renewed the Seoul government’s opposition to bringing the North Korean nuclear issue to the U.N. Security Council.

There has been speculation North Korea is preparing for a nuclear experiment to reconfirm it is a nuclear-possessing state.

The North has already declared its nuclear possession on Feb. 10 and proposed arms reduction talks on March 31, apparently to pave the way for the possible nuclear test.

Reports have it that the North had been extracting spent nuclear material and digging an underground tunnel in Kilju, North Hamkyong Province to prepare for the test.

Chong Wa Dae officials said Russia’s expression of intent to play a more active role in resolving the North Korean nuclear standoff is a positive sign for the settlement.

Negative prospects have been growing over the fate of the six-party talks, given the North’s continued boycott of the negotiations due to the ``hostile attitude’’ of the U.S. toward it.

``All the nations participating in the six-party talks have been feeling burdened due to lack of progress in the nuclear negotiations,’’ said the official asking not to be named.

Prior to the meeting with Putin, Roh and his wife Kwon Yang-suk attended the ceremony for the end of World War II, held here together with some 50 heads of state including U.S. President George Bush.

Roh observed a military parade and visited and offered wreaths at the cemetery for unnamed soldiers who died during the war.

jayshim@koreatimes.co.kr