Russia hailed on Friday the agreement between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and South Korea to resume cabinet-level talks next month, saying it expects the agreement to be helpful in resuming the six-party talks on the DPRK nuclear issue.

Moscow highly evaluates the results of the talks between the DPRK and South Korea at deputy ministers' level on May 17-19, the Foreign Ministry said in a press release.

At the talks that concluded Thursday, the DPRK and South Korea agreed to hold ministerial talks in Seoul on June 21-24 and joint ceremonies in Pyongyang on June 15 to mark the 5th anniversary of the first-ever inter-Korean summit.

The agreement demonstrates "both sides' sincere desire for reconciliation and a dialogue aimed at normalizing relations," the ministry said.

"We hope that the accords reached in the course of the talks will create a favorable atmosphere for resuming six-party talks and make an important contribution to resolving the problems of the Korean Peninsula," the ministry said.

The cabinet-level talks are the highest-level inter-Korean contact since last summer, when the DPRK called off the previously scheduled meeting amid political and military tension with Seoul.

Russia has been "invariably supportive of the efforts of Pyongyang and Seoul for cooperation and exchanges toward greater peace, greater trust and greater economic and humanitarian engagement," the ministry said.

Source: Xinhua