Russia's deputy nuke negotiator pays visit North Korea

Seoul, July 25 : Russia's deputy nuclear negotiator has visited North Korea to discuss important issues on the divided peninsula, Pyongyang's state media reported on Tuesday.

Oleg Burmistrov, Russia's ambassador-at-large, met with North Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Sin Hong-chol and also talked with a director in charge of North America affairs, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Burmistrov is known to also serve as Moscow's deputy negotiator to the now-stalled six-party denuclearization talks involving South and North Korea, the US, China, Japan and Russia, reports Yonhap Nws Agency.

He arrived in Pyongyang on Saturday for a four-day visit.

"We told him that if Washington does not give up its hostile policy toward the North and end its nuclear threats, we will not put nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles up for negotiation," KCNA said in a report.

"We also made it clear that we will not budge an inch from our firm will to strengthen our nuclear force."

North Korea test-fired its first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on July 4, claiming that it can hit targets anywhere in the world.

The UN Security Council (UNSC) is working on a new sanctions resolution for Pyongyang's latest ICBM test.