Russia and Japan want serious response to North Korea

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso have agreed on the need for a serious response to this week's nuclear test by North Korea, the Kremlin said on Saturday.

The two leaders had a telephone conversation about North Korea's nuclear explosion, short-range missile launches and declarations about resumption of its nuclear programme, it said in a statement.

"The parties shared the view that there is a need to most seriously respond to these steps, representing a challenge to the international security system," the statement said.

They said they would coordinate on proposals to be included in a new U.N. resolution, it added.

On Thursday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said Russia did not object to a U.N. Security Council resolution on North Korea's nuclear test this week, but believed it was too early to talk about possible penalties.