Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon has asked Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov for a more active and constructive role by Moscow to resolve North Korea’s nuclear standoff.

On the sidelines of an Association of Southeast Asian Nations forum in Laos Thursday, Ban said Seoul is working on a comprehensive way to resolve the issue closely with the parties to the six-way nuclear talks in Beijing.

Accepting Ban's call for close cooperation, Lavrov said Russia will continue to help ensure progress in the talks as it did on the proposed connection of the Trans-Siberian Railway to the Trans-Korea Railway.