¡¡¡¡MOSCOW, Oct. 29 (Xinhuanet) -- Russia on Wednesday welcomed the readiness of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)to consider an offer from the United States on a written security guarantee to resolve the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula.

¡¡¡¡"Pyongyang's readiness to consider the US proposals on 'providing written guarantees of non-aggression' is a positive step," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement posted on its Internet site.

¡¡¡¡"Russia welcomes all steps aimed at reducing escalation and searching for diplomatic paths of resolving the problem through six-party talks," the statement said.

¡¡¡¡Russia would continue to advocate a peaceful, negotiated settlement with a nuclear-free status on the Korean Peninsula taking into consideration the DPRK's security concerns, the statement said.

¡¡¡¡A spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry said Saturday that his country was ready to consider US President George W. Bush's recent remarks on offering some written security assurance to the DPRK to solve the nuclear issue.

¡¡¡¡On Oct. 20, Bush said in Bangkok, the venue for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum that progress was being made on peacefully solving the nuclear standoff with the DPRK by offering Pyongyang a written security guarantee in exchange for Pyongyang's commitment to scrap its nuclear program.

¡¡¡¡The DPRK, the United States, China, Russia, South Korea and Japan held six-nation talks in August. But no agreement was reached on the date for the next round of such talks. Enditem