Russia opposes new sanctions against North Korea and believes that imposing sanctions would be counterproductive, the Russian foreign minister said Wednesday.

North Korea launched a multistage rocket that it said was carrying a communications satellite on Sunday morning. While the United States, Japan, South Korea and other countries suspected the launch was a cover-up for a test for a Taepodong-2 long-range missile.

There is an idea of stipulating new sanctions against North Korea, we do not want that, said Andrei Nesterenko , spokesman of Russia Foreign Ministry.

The 15-member Security Council convened for an emergency meeting late on Sunday to discuss sanctions but strong opposition from Russia prevented the adoption of any sanction.

Stricter sanctions may have the opposite result to increase the isolation, the anger of North Korea and provoke its disproportionate response, said Nesterenko.

The NATO's North Atlantic Council condemned the launch Thursday, saying it violated Security Council resolutions 1695 and 1718.

The top Russian diplomat said Moscow will not change its stance concerning proposed sanctions against Pyongyang.

We will not change our position which has been made in recent years concerning ways of resolving the nuclear issue on the Korea Peninsula, said Sergei Lavrov, the foreign minister.

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