MOSCOW. July 4 (Interfax) - Russia should not yield to reasoning from the outside and toughen its position on Pyongyang, as not all resources for a constructive dialogue have yet been used, Russian State Duma international affairs committee head Leonid Slutsky said.
"It's necessary to negotiate, seek agreements, maintain dialogue and refrain from provoking Pyongyang by concentrating aircraft carriers near its borders," Slutsky told Interfax on Tuesday.
It is most important now to intensify dialogue with North Korea on the nuclear problem, and this dialogue should be maintained in a constructive manner rather than from a position of strength, he said.
Historically, Moscow and Pyongyang have had friendly relations, "and we need to try to use them to preserve peace and quiet in this Far Eastern region," he said.
Pyongyang officially announced earlier on Tuesday that North Korea had launched a ballistic missile.