MOSCOW, March 27, SPA -- Russia said on Friday NorthKorea should abstain from launching a rocket and called fordialogue with Pyongyang to resolve the situation, Reuters reported. "We understand that the current situation in the region ofNorth-East Asia is tense, and this is why it would be better ifour partners in North Korea abstained from this, from thislaunch," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Borodavkin toldjournalists. Pyongyang has said it will launch a communications satellitebetween April 4-8, but regional powers believe the real purposeis to test a long-range missile, the Taepodong-2, which isbelieved to be already in place on its launch pad. Russia shares a small border with North Korea in the FarEast and its main Pacific port of Vladivostok lies only 150 km(95 miles) from the North Korean border. Japan ordered its military on Friday to prepare to interceptany dangerous debris that might fall on its territory if themissile launch goes wrong. North Korea has said any attempt to shoot down the rocketitself would be an act of war. "We have to calmly assess the situation, to take aclear-eyed view of it, without much agitation," Borodavkin said. "And all the issues which ... emerge because of this launchmust be resolved through dialogue and consultations with all theparties involved," he added. --SPA www.spa.gov.sa/648394