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Russia not in nuclear reactor talks with N.Korea - Kiriyenko

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Russia is not holding any talks with Pyongyang on building a nuclear reactor in North Korea, the country's nuclear power chief said on Wednesday.
UDOMLYA (Tver Region), April 15 (RIA Novosti) - Russia is not holding any talks with Pyongyang on building a nuclear reactor in North Korea, the country's nuclear power chief said on Wednesday.

"We are not working with them [North Koreans]... we only work with those countries who are members of the IAEA, and who have signed the nuclear nonproliferation treaty," Sergei Kiriyenko said.

Pyongyang ordered UN nuclear inspectors out of the country on Tuesday in protest against criticism of its recent rocket launch, and pledged to restart work at its Yongbyon nuclear .

"We do not hold any kind of discussions with countries that are not on the list," Kiriyenko said while commenting on a report from Pyongyang that North Korea is starting the construction of a light-water reactor, adding "I read about this in the newspapers, but nothing more than that."

North Korea plans to restart its development of nuclear energy and is looking into the possibility of building light-water nuclear reactors that would be incapable of producing enriched weapons plutonium.

On Monday, the United Nations Security Council issued a unanimous condemnation of the North's April 5 rocket launch, and demanded that existing sanctions be enforced. The secretive communist state then declared a complete withdrawal from the six-nation talks on its nuclear program.

North Korea's official KCNA news agency said in a statement that the UN decisions were an infringement of its sovereignty, and pledged to "bolster its nuclear deterrent for self-defense in every way."

The Security Council said the rocket launch contravened a UN resolution passed in late 2006 after Pyongyang's nuclear test, banning nuclear and ballistic activities.

Opposition from China and Russia, which have veto power in the Security Council, prevented agreement on a harsher resolution against the North, but they joined other members in condemning the rocket launch.

Many countries suspect that North Korea's April 5 rocket launch was a test of a long-range missile.

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