Russian President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart George W. Bush
on Monday stressed the need for coordinated efforts to resolve the nuclear issue
of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) following its announcement
it had conducted a nuclear test.
In a telephone conversation with Bush initiated by the U.S. side, Putin
voiced Russia's "particular concern" over the nuclear test, the Kremlin said in
a statement.
Putin and Bush agreed that the DPRK's move "has dealt a blow to the
non-proliferation regime and in this respect noted the need to coordinate
efforts to resolve the problem," the statement said.
The DPRK's announcement that it had conducted an underground nuclear test on
Monday has drawn sharp reactions and grave concern from the international
community.
Earlier in the day, Putin condemned the test, saying the move "has caused
huge damage to the process of nuclear non-proliferation," the Itar-Tass news
agency reported.
