Sergei Lavrov told a news conference on the sidelines of the Group of Eight summit, underway near St. Petersburg, that the UN resolution demonstrated the world's desire to make North Korea reinstate its moratorium on missile launches and resume talks on its nuclear program.
Lavrov said: "The UN Security Council's resolution is balanced, and demonstrates to Pyongyang that the international community is united, and does not want the situation to go into deadlock; it also urges North Korea to reinstate its moratorium on missile launches, and to resume six-nation talks."
The UN Security Council adopted a resolution Saturday barring imports or exports to North Korea of materials that could be used in the production of weapons of mass destruction. It also calls on the reclusive communist state to resume six-nation nuclear talks, which have been in a state of deadlock since September.
The move came after North Korea test-launched seven missiles including a long-range Taepodong-2 in the Pacific last week.
Following the new wave of violence in the Middle East, the Russian foreign minister said the abduction of two Israeli soldiers by Hizbollah Wednesday could have been designed, among other things, to frustrate dialogue within Lebanon.
He also said the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict was the root cause of the resurgence of violence in the region.
"The main cause of developments in Palestinian-administered territories, in southern Lebanon, in Israel and in adjacent lands is rooted in the unresolved Israeli-Palestinian conflict," the minister said.
Israel launched a military operation in Lebanon after the abduction of its soldiers, air-raiding Lebanon's infrastructure facilities. Over 100 Lebanese civilians have reportedly been killed and 200 wounded. Israeli aircraft also bombed the Gaza Strip.
Missiles launched from the Lebanese territories controlled by Hizbollah have reportedly killed 13 Israelis and injured dozens.
Lavrov said G8 leaders and officials were continuing to discuss possible solutions to the crisis.
