DPRK nuclear tests should not be used as excuse for arms race

MOSCOW - Nuclear tests in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) should not be used to justify a new round of arms race, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday.

"This is principally important not to use the current situation to spin up modern arms and any other weapons in that region, neither to use that situation as an excuse for military intervention from outside, to eliminate chances for resumption of the six-party talks," Lavrov told reporters after his meeting with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi.

Moscow and Beijing agreed that nuclear tests conducted in the DPRK were unacceptable and deserved condemnation and responses from the U.N. Security Council, he said.

The U.N. Security Council recently strongly condemned the third underground nuclear test conducted by the DPRK, saying the latest move by Pyongyang "is a grave violation" of relevant resolutions of the council.