Russia says US policy toward North Korea does not help promote peace in region

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Russia’s foreign minister on Tuesday said that the policy of the US toward North Korea does not help in promoting peace in the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia as a whole.

“The policy of the United States and its regional satellites to create threats to the security of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) does not at all contribute to progress in a positive direction,” Sergey Lavrov said ahead of a meeting with his North Korean counterpart Choe Song-hui in the capital Moscow.

Expressing that they will continue to reject any steps that lead to an escalation of tensions in the region, Lavrov said that Moscow and Pyongyang cooperate “closely and fruitfully” at the UN and other multilateral organizations.

“We always support the DPRK at the UN and very much appreciate your similar position in support of the position of the Russian Federation, including on issues that relate to the special military operation in Ukraine," Lavrov said.

According to the Russian foreign minister, Moscow always advocated for establishing negotiations without any preconditions in order to achieve “lasting peace and stability throughout Northeast Asia.”

“Russia, independently and together with China, submitted relevant proposals to the UN Security Council. They are on the negotiating table," he added.

Regarding bilateral relations with Pyongyang, Lavrov said work is underway to implement the agreements reached between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong Un during the latter’s visit to Moscow in September last year.

Lavrov went on to say that the North Korean leader’s visit and the Korea-Russia summit were “very important moments in creating a new milestone in the fight against military threats and provocations of the united imperialist forces.”

For her part, Choe said frequent talks between the two countries are further proof that Russian-North Korean relations are “vigorously” moving forward based on the plans of both countries’ presidents.

Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that both foreign ministers will meet with Putin later today to inform him of the results of their negotiations.