Security guarantees in exchange for the abandonment of the nuclear program in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) are the only way to resolve the DPRK's nuclear issue, said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov on Friday.

"Such an approach is supported by other participants in the recent six-party talks in Beijing," he said at a forum in Irkutsk in Russia's Siberian region.

The nuclear issue can only be resolved through negotiations, otherwise it could be led to a rather difficult situation, he was quoted as saying by the Itar-Tass.

Losyukov, who attended the Beijing six-party talks on the DPRK's nuclear issue last month as Russia's top delegate, said the second round of six-nation talks may result in important accords.

However, he refused to make a prognosis on a possible date for the second round of the talks.

"Everything depends on the mood of all the participants to return to the negotiating table," he said.

(People's Daily   September 13, 2003)