Russia keeps in touch with six-party talks partners: diplomat

MOSCOW, March 30 (Xinhua) -- Russia was in touch with six-party talks partners over the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue following Pyongyang's declaration of "state of war" with South Korea, a senior Russian diplomat said Saturday.

"We are staying in contact with our partners in the six-party process in order to prevent the situation from getting beyond the political-diplomatic bounds," Russian Foreign Ministry's Ambassador-at-Large Grigory Logvinov told local media.

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) said Saturday it had entered a "state of war" with South Korea, with all matters between the two Koreas to be handled according to wartime condition.

The statement, issued jointly by the DPRK government, party and other organizations, warned that any military provocation near the land or sea border of the two sides would result "in a full-scale conflict and a nuclear war."

The six-party talks, which group the DPRK, South Korea, the United States, Japan, Russia and China, began in 2003 but stalled in late 2008.

According to Logvinov, Russia could not remain indifferent to what was happening near its eastern borders, as "tension was increasing there and threatening statements were heard every day."

Russia hoped the situation on the Korean Peninsula will not "cross the dangerous line," he said, urging all relevant parties to show maximum responsibility and restraint.