Russia's foreign ministry called on Wednesday on North Korea to take a 'rational decision' that would avoid the 'road to nuclear confrontation' following the country's announcement of an atomic weapon test, Interfax news agency reported.
The ministry urged North Korea to heed the international community's concerns and "take a rational decision towards getting out of the complicated current situation -- not via the road to nuclear confrontation, but through peaceful negotiations," Interfax said.
The statement came amid mounting pressure on the isolated communist state, including imposition of UN Security Council sanctions last Saturday.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is planning to discuss the stand-off with Russian officials during a visit to Moscow on Saturday, following a tour of Japan, South Korea and China.
On Wednesday, she telephoned Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to discuss details of implementation of the UN sanctions, the foreign ministry said in a statement.