Seoul - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived Thursday in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, for talks after the communist state's decision to withdraw from international negotiations to end its nuclear weapons programme. Lavrov was expected to try to persuade North Korea's leaders to return to the six-nation talks, in which Russia, North Korea, South Korea, China, the United States and Japan participate.

North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency reported Lavrov's arrival without giving details of his visit. The Russian foreign minister was scheduled to visit South Korea Friday.

Pyongyang pulled out of the six-party talks after the United Nations Security Council condemned its April 5 rocket launch. Pyongyang said it had launched a communications satellite, but the United States, Japan and South Korea said it was a test of a long-rang missile.

The Stalinist state also threatened to expand its nuclear arsenal and rebuild decommissioned nuclear facilities that can produce plutonium for nuclear weapons.

Shortly afterward, Pyongyang stopped its cooperation with the international nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and threw all its inspectors out of the country. (dpa)