Russia Willing to Play Role in Solving DPRK Nuclear Issue

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, April 11, 2003

Russia Willing to Play Role in Solving DPRK Nuclear Issue

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Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said here Thursday that Russia is willing to guarantee the security of Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) along with other relative countries to defuse the DPRK nuclear crisis.

"Russia is ready to provide guarantees of non-aggression treaty toward the DPRK together with the Unites States and China," the visiting Russian official told a press conference in central Seoul.

The nuclear issue broke out last October when the US government announced the DPRK had a secret nuclear program. Later on, the DPRK declared it will reactivate its frozen nuclear facilities to make up its shortage of electricity since the United States halted fuel oil shipment to it last November.

And the DPRK expelled the inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and announced its pull-out from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in January this year.

To resolve the crisis, Pyongyang has preferred holding bilateral talks with Washington and signing a non-aggression treaty with the United States, thus guaranteeing its security and sovereignty.

However, the US administration insisted on dealing with the DPRK nuclear issue within a multilateral framework, in which the DPRK, United States, South Korea, Russia, China and Japan could hold dialogues.

At Thursday's press conference, Ivanov also said a gas pipeline to South Korea will be laid underground in future, and Russia is considering to connect the Trans-Siberian Railroad to the Inter-Korean Railway.

Previously, local media reported that South Korean government has mapped out a so-called "oil for peace" plan, under which pipe lines will be laid from Russia to the DPRK in exchange of the latter's reverse from its alleged nuclear program. But Seoul has categorically denied such reports.

Ivanov arrived here late Wednesday and held talks with his South Korean counterpart Cho Young-kil earlier Thursday.

During their talks, Cho Young-kil expressed the hope that Russia could play an aggressive role in facilitating dialogue between the DPRK and the United States in a multilateral framework, reported Yonhap News.

The two defense ministers also concurred that both countries have to maintain close cooperation for the peaceful resolution of the DPRK nuclear standoff, it said.

Ivanov also asked South Korea's participation in a naval exercise of the Russian Pacific Fleet slated for this August, and Cho said his ministry would consider the proposal, according to Yonhap.

Ivanov will return to Moscow on Friday.

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