North Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Kang Sok-ju has said that his country cannot abandon nuclear weapons.

Japanese broadcaster NHK quoted Kang in remarks made to reporters Wednesday at a Beijing airport on his way home from Moscow.

He strongly protested demands by the U.S. and other countries that the North give up its nukes saying that his country did not develop the weapons only to give them up.

When asked if Pyongyang would request the lifting of sanctions at six-way talks slated for mid-December, Kang said "absolutely" and stressed it would do so during working-level talks with the U.S. within the six-way dialogue.

Kang added that his Moscow visit was for medical treatment and that he didn't meet with Russian officials. He also denied any planned talks with Chinese officials in Beijing.