Putin, Bush agree on coordinated efforts on DPRK nuclear issue

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart George W. Bush on Monday stressed the need for coordinated efforts to resolve the nuclear issue of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) following its announcement it had conducted a nuclear test.

In a telephone conversation with Bush initiated by the U.S. side, Putin voiced Russia's "particular concern" over the nuclear test, the Kremlin said in a statement.

Putin and Bush agreed that the DPRK's move "has dealt a blow to the non-proliferation regime and in this respect noted the need to coordinate efforts to resolve the problem," the statement said.

The DPRK's announcement that it had conducted an underground nuclear test on Monday has drawn sharp reactions and grave concern from the international community.

Earlier in the day, Putin condemned the test, saying the move " has caused huge damage to the process of nuclear non-proliferation, " the Itar-Tass news agency reported.

Source: Xinhua