http://news.yahoo.com/russia-north-korea-ready-resume-nuclear-talks-130921462.htmlMOSCOW (AP) ? North Korea says it's ready to resume international talks on its nuclear program, Russia's foreign minister said Thursday as Moscow sought to raise its profile in the international standoff over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov spoke after meeting with Choe Ryong Hae, a special envoy for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who earlier this week gave Russian President Vladimir Putin a letter from Kim.
North Korea has wanted to resume talks for a long time, but the U.S. Japan and South Korea say it needs to honor its previous commitments first to shut down its nuclear programs.
Lavrov said Kim's letter confirmed a desire to expand bilateral ties and "cooperate on settling the problems that still remain on the Korean Peninsula."
