Russia is calling for constructive work at the upcoming round of talks on North Korea's nuclear program, without dramatizing potential difficulties, a senior diplomat said Monday.

U.N. nuclear monitors said Friday they were able to see all that they wanted on their visit to the plutonium-producing reactor that North Korea has pledged to shut down in return for aid.

European Union officials have emerged from a diplomatic visit to North Korea with an upbeat assessment of Pyongyang's commitment to start dismantling its nuclear weapons. United Nations nuclear inspectors arrived in the North this week and may soon be given a first-hand look at the nuclear reactor they hope will be shut down within weeks.

The United Nations' nuclear watchdog says Iran has invited it to send a team to Tehran to agree how to resolve questions about Iran's contested atomic program.

U.S. chief nuclear negotiator Christopher Hill says he had "good talks" with North Korean officials in Pyongyang and believes they are prepared to promptly shut down the country's Yongbyon nuclear reactor.

The senior U.S. diplomat in charge of negotiating an end to North Korea's nuclear weapons programs is in the North Korean capital. The surprise visit comes just days before United Nations nuclear inspectors are expected in the North to plan the shutdown of the country's main reactor.

The foreign ministers of South Korea, China and Japan agreed to cooperate closely with their regional partners on ending North Korea's nuclear weapons program.

Talks between North and South Korea have faltered, with the two sides producing no substantial agreement despite talking since Tuesday. As VOA's Kurt Achin reports from Seoul, the main sticking point is Seoul's refusal to send aid across the border until the North implements a nuclear disarmament agreement.

Indian and U.S. delegates met for a second day Friday to seal a much-touted civilian nuclear deal between the two countries, officials said. The deal has been delayed by disagreements over clauses that India says could limit its nuclear weapons program and, in the process, impinge on its sovereignty.

Foreign ministers from the Group of Eight industrialized nations have renewed calls for Iran to stop uranium enrichment activities or face "appropriate measures."

The United States' top nuclear negotiator urged North Korea to quickly honor its February commitment to shut down its nuclear reactor. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill says he thinks a technical problem in transferring North Korean funds to Pyongyang will be solved soon. That means, he says, Pyongyang should start dismantling its nuclear weapons facilities.

A delegation of high-ranking North Korean officials is in the South Korean capital for talks aimed at improving cooperation between the two countries. VOA's Kurt Achin reports from Seoul that Pyongyang's failure to meet a deadline for halting some of its nuclear-weapons production has given authorities in Seoul second thoughts about sending aid to the North.