MOSCOW, October 3 (RIA Novosti) - Moscow urges Pyongyang to show restraint over its intention to hold nuclear tests that could aggravate the situation on the Korean peninsula, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

Media reported earlier Tuesday that communist North Korea was on the verge of conducting nuclear tests.

"We believe that this move could lead to a further escalation of the military-political situation on the Korean peninsula and around it and could affect the international nuclear non-proliferation system," the ministry said in a statement.

In early July, North Korea, which claims to have nuclear weapons, conducted test launches of ballistic missiles, including a long-range Taepodong-2. Many countries interpreted the tests as an attempt to force the international community, especially the United States, to make concessions over the six-nation nuclear talks.

The talks, which involve North and South Korea, Russia, China, Japan and the U.S. opened in 2003, but stalled last November.