'North Korean missiles to figure in G8 summit'

N Korea's missile tests will come under scrutiny at a G8 summit in Saint Petersburg this month.

North Korea's missile tests will come under scrutiny at a G8 summit of the world's leading industrial nations in Saint Petersburg this month, a Kremlin aide said.

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"Usually when leaders meet at a summit they discuss the most urgent questions of the moment," said Igor Shuvalov, in charge of preparations for the gathering which Russia is hosting.

"The Iranian problem and the problems of North Korea will certainly be dealt with," he said yesterday on the Rossiya television channel.

"Usually the (G8) leaders discuss nuclear non-proliferation," he said. "North Korea's capacities are currently being considerably reinforced through possession of ballistic missiles, and this subject will of course figure as part of non-proliferation."

The Saint Petersburg G8 summit will be held during July 15-17.

In initial reactions, the US and North Korea's Asian neighbours led international outrage over the tests, launching sanctions, raising military alerts and urging it to return to nuclear disarmament talks.

Russia condemned the North Korean missile tests, saying they undermined international efforts to ease nuclear tension on the Korean peninsula.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice discussed the matter by telephone, the foreign ministry in Moscow said.