SEOUL, July 3 (Xinhuanet) -- South Korean foreign minister Ban Ki-moon said Saturday he had asked his Russian counterpart to persuade the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to give up itsnuclear arms ambitions.

    During a 90-minute meeting with Russian Foreign Minister SergeyLavrov, who arrived here earlier in the day and will leave for Pyongyang on Sunday for a two-day visit, Ban Ki-moon said he askedMinister Lavrov to "actively persuade the North to completely dismantle its nuclear program if it wants to develop its economy and society and receive economic assistance and a security guarantee."

    At a joint news conference with Lavrov, both ministers said they agreed to work together to resolve the nuclear stalemate through the six-way talks.

    "The two countries agreed to closely cooperate for a successfulstaging of the fourth round of six-party talks to be held by the end of September," Lavrov was quoted by the Yonhap as saying.

    Lavrov said his country supports denuclearization of the KoreanPeninsula, but also believes that the DPRK should be provided with"solid security assurances" as well as economic and social assistance in return, Yonhap reported.

    Ban and Lavrov also discussed President Roh Moo-hyun's trip to Moscow, scheduled for September, and such economic issues as a project to link the Trans-Korean Railway with the Trans-Siberian Railway and a project to develop a gas reserve development in Siberia.

    Lavrov is scheduled to pay a courtesy call on President Roh Moo-hyun in the afternoon. Enditem