Russia argued on Friday against the "endless"...
The statement comes after talks between Russian officials and a UN-mandated independent expert group in the Foreign Ministry in Moscow earlier on Friday.
"The UN Security Council"s decisions are aimed primarily at easing concern over North Korea"s nuclear program, and not at the economic isolation of the country," Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said.
The expert group on sanctions, headed by Eric Marzolf, met earlier on Friday with Russian ambassador-at-large Grigory Logvinov, who represents Moscow at the six-nation talks on ending Pyongyang"s nuclear program.
"We exchanged opinions [on the issue] and specified Russia"s position, which is to restart the six-party talks and the denuclearization process," Logvinov said, adding that Russia was against taking a broad interpretation of the sanctions.
Earlier in the day, Pyongyang said it would be conducting artillery drills near its sea borders with U.S. ally South Korea.