Related report: DPRK conducts nuclear test

    TOKYO, June 28 (Xinhua) -- Japan and Russia agreed Thursday to strengthen cooperation on urging the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to implement the initial steps to denuclearization.

    The agreement was made between Japanese Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau Director General Kenichiro Sasae and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov, both chiefs of delegates to the six-party talks on the Korean peninsula nuclear issue.

    Sasae and Alexander insisted that actions hampering the entire process of the talks must be avoided, Kyodo News reported.

    The two sides also talked about the timing of resuming the six-party talks and a possible foreign ministerial meeting in early August on the sidelines of a regional meeting in Manila.

    The six parties agreed in February to hold a ministerial meeting once the DPRK implements initial steps.

    The DPRK agreed in the last round of the six-party talks ending Feb. 13 to close its Yongbyon nuclear facility and to invite International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors for checkup.

    A working-level delegation from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) left Pyongyang for Yongbyon on Thursday to visit the nuclear facilities. It is the UN watchdog's first visit to the DPRK since late 2002.