Russia on Tuesday welcomed reports that North Korea had agreed to return to six-party nuclear talks, but officials sounded a note of caution about whether such negotiations would take place.
"The Russian foreign ministry welcomes this decision," foreign ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin said in a statement published on the ministry's website.
"Russia has constantly advocated and advocates de-nuclearisation of the Korean peninsula... and is ready to assist fully the rapid resumption of the six-party process," Kamynin added.
Earlier on Tuesday, the United States announced that North Korea had agreed to scrap its nuclear weapons and resume six-party talks following secret negotiations in Beijing between Chinese, North Korean and US officials.
Russian officials, however, were cautious about Pyongyang's reported promises.
"If it's true, we welcome it," Igor Ivanov, head of the Russian security council, told reporters at a briefing in Moscow.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alexeyev said: "This information is still not complete since only three sides agreed on the resumption," ITAR-TASS reported.
Six-party talks between North and South Korea, as well as China, Japan, Russia and the United States began in 2003. North Korea pulled out of the negotiations in November last year.
Earlier this month, North Korea carried out a nuclear test, triggering fierce global condemnation and leading to sweeping United Nations sanctions against the secretive state.