The top diplomats from South Korea and Russia have held talks in Germany to discuss North Korea's nuclear weapons program and ways to promote the steady development of bilateral ties, Seoul's foreign ministry said Monday.
South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se met with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Germany on Sunday (local time) on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference that wrapped up a three-day run on the same day.
Yun appreciated Russia's efforts for doing its part in trying to make North Korea give up its nuclear weapons, the foreign ministry said in a statement, amid the long-stalled multilateral denuclearization talks.
Yun also proposed holding a meeting between chief nuclear envoys from Seoul and Moscow in the near term, which was hailed by the Russian foreign minister, it added.
The meeting came as the six-party talks on the North's denuclearization involving the two Koreas, the United States, China, Japan and Russia, have been stalled since late 2008 when North Korea abruptly walked away from the negotiation table.
North Korea has been closer to Russia in recent months, apparently because its relations with China, its long-time ally, remain chilly following Pyongyang's 2013 nuclear test. North Korea and Russia have increased exchanges between high-level personnel.
Lavrov said that its move to improve ties with North Korea will be made in a way not to hamper interests of other neighboring countries, the Seoul government said.
The Russian foreign minister also expressed hope that South Korean President Park Geun-hye could attend the May 9 ceremony in Moscow marking the 70th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, according to the ministry. In response, Yun said Seoul has been reviewing Russia's invitation comprehensively.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Seoul and Moscow.
The two sides agreed to hold a series of working and high-level talks between their foreign ministers this year, it said.
The two nations also agreed to make a success of the trilateral project between the two Koreas and Russia, named the Rajin-Khasan project, saying that the move will positively affect the Korean Peninsula.
The Rajin-Khasan logistics project is designed to make the North Korean northeastern port city of Rajin a logistics hub by linking it to Russia's Trans-Siberian railway. (Yonhap)
