The top nuclear envoys of China and Russia discussed ways to resume long-stalled multilateral talks aimed at persuading North Korea to give up its nuclear program, according to China's foreign ministry on Wednesday.

China's top nuclear envoy, Wu Dawei, held talks with his Russian counterpart, Igor Morgulov, in Beijing on Tuesday during which they "exchanged views on the resumption of the six-party talks," the Chinese ministry said in a brief statement.

The six-party talks, involving South Korea, North Korea, the United States, China, Russia and Japan, have been dormant for nearly six years.

North Korea, which conducted its third and most powerful nuclear test in early 2013, is believed to have advanced its nuclear and missile capabilities.

North Korea has called for the resumption of the six-party talks without preconditions, but South Korea and the U.S. insist that the North should first show its sincere commitment toward forgoing its nuclear weapons program.

South Korea's top nuclear envoy, Hwang Joon-kook, has met with his counterparts from the U.S., China, Russia and Japan in recent months and said the five nations have agreed on the need to hold a "exploratory dialogue" to prevent North Korea from advancing its nuclear capability.

On March 12, Hwang told a forum in Seoul that such dialogue could take place if North Korea halts its nuclear activities related to plutonium and enriched uranium in its Yongbyon nuclear complex and allows international inspectors to return to the facility. (Yonhap)