Russian Upper House OKs Friendship Treaty With DPRKRussia's Federation Council, the upper house of the parliament, ratified a Friendship, Neighborly Relations and Cooperation Treaty with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Wednesday.The treaty was signed in Pyongyang on February 9, 2000 and submitted to the Russian State Duma, the lower house of the parliament, by Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 23. The Duma approved the document July 19. Earlier, the DPRK parliament ratified the accord on April 6. Under the treaty, the two countries will immediately establish contacts with each other if one party encounters a threat of an external aggression or regional peace and security face a critical situation. Russia and DPRK will not take part in activities "against the sovereignty, independence or territorial integrity of one of the two parties and will work for the unification of Korea on the basis of principles agreed between DPRK and the Republic of Korea, "the treaty says. The treaty will serve as a framework document formalizing the main areas and principles of long-term relations between the two countries, said the Federation Council Foreign Affairs Committee in a statement. In addition, the treaty aims at preserving peace and security in Northeast Asia and in the whole world. It creates new conditions for the development of full-fledged cooperation between Russia and DPRK in the political, trade, economic, cultural and other fields, said the committee. |
| People's Daily Online --- http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/ |