Sergei Ivanov said Russia was using its contacts within radical movement Hamas to try to bring an end to the violence, while turning to other global problems called for talks on North Korea to be resumed and criticized NATO's eastward expansion.
But it was the Middle East that Ivanov focused on during a briefing after a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart George W. Bush.
"Our president voiced today Russia's position on the crisis, on the virtual war that has begun in the Middle East. Whether we like it or not, the only way to resolve the current complicated and dangerous situation is to resume talks," he said.
The situation there is critical after Israel launched a military operation in Lebanon after Islamist group Hizbollah took two Israelis hostage on Wednesday. Dozens of Lebanese civilians have been killed, while Israeli aircraft have also bombed the Gaza Strip.
Ivanov, who is also a deputy prime minister, denounced the Hizbollah move to seize the Israeli hostages but condemned Israel's retaliation as inappropriate and unlawful, echoing President Vladimir Putin's words earlier in the day and Russia's deputy ambassador to the UN, who said much the same at the Security Council last night.
He said Russia wanted Hizbollah to stop using terrorism, including attacks against a neighboring state, and urged restraint.
"Both parties to the conflict should exercise the utmost restraint, circumspect and foresight in their actions," he said
Ivanov also said Russia was using contacts with the radical movement Hamas, which won the elections in the Palestinian Authority in January, to ease tensions in the Middle East. He said Russia was using its contacts to clarify where the group stood on resolving the violence, including on an end to terrorism, recognizing other states and respecting the rights of neighboring countries.
Speaking about the North Korean nuclear problem, the minister said the six nations seeking to resolve the crisis around the communist state's nuclear programs wanted to see a resumption of talks as soon as possible.
Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, North Korea and the United States opened talks in 2003, but they have since stalled after Washington imposed economic sanctions on Pyongyang for engaging in counterfeiting dollars and other activities.
Ivanov said Russia was prepared to examine North Korea's controversial nuclear programs at the UN Security Council if necessary.
"If the problem needs to be discussed in the Security Council, then Russian is ready for this," Ivanov said.
Returning closer to home, the minister also said his country could see no sense in NATO's expansion into countries bordering on Russia, which poses no threat to the organization.
"Modern challenges and threats do not come from Russia but from the regions located far from our borders," Ivanov said.
He said deciding to join NATO was a sovereign right of any state.
"Nevertheless, we have our legitimate interests in the security sphere, particularly in the CIS, that we openly tell our partners," Ivanov said.
Ukraine and Georgia are two former Soviet republics that are seeking to join the North Atlantic alliance, which would take it right up to Russia's borders.
Speaking about Russia's defense program, he said his country would continue to increase its spending on armaments.
"Funds allocated for the government's arms program have increased each year, and will continue to do so," he said, adding that work was under way to create new types of arms and military hardware.
Ivanov also said Russia had invited all member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to join an anti-terrorism exercise in 2007 in the Volga-Urals region.
The organization comprises Russia, China, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.
