Official Spokesman for Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Alexander Yakovenko Replies to Questions from Russian Media on North Korea Problems
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
INFORMATION AND PRESS DEPARTMENT
32/34 Smolenskaya-Sennaya pl., 119200, Moscow G-200; tel.: (095) 244 4119, fax: 244 4112
e-mail: dip@mid.ru, web-address: www.mid.ru
29.05.2003
Unofficial translation from Russian
1277-28-05-2003
Question: What would you say about the level of cooperation with the PRC on settling the North Korean nuclear problem?
Yakovenko: As strategic partners, Russia and China are closely collaborating on questions of settling the crisis on the Korean Peninsula by taking coordinated efforts in order to promote a solution to the "North Korean nuclear problem." This collaboration is based on the two countries' coincident approaches of principle to the situation in the region. We stand for the non-nuclear status of the Korean Peninsula and for the use of exclusively peaceful, political and diplomatic means and respect for the concerns of all the parties involved as solutions are worked out to the problems of ensuring security and stable development that exist there, problems that are not limited only to weapons of mass destruction.
Naturally, the situation on the Korean Peninsula was on the agenda of the talks between President Vladimir Putin of Russia and PRC President Hu Jintao that took place in the Kremlin on May 27, 2003. Appropriate intentions were reflected in the Joint Declaration of the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China that was signed at the summit level. The sides stated their broad mutual understanding on the modalities of solutions to the contradictions that had recently come to a head and agreed to continue to maintain close contacts and collaboration in the interests of the ongoing diplomatic process of comprehensive settlement of the problems of the Korean Peninsula.
Question: Could you confirm that the so-called package plan of settlement of the DPRK nuclear problem that was put forward by the Russian side remains on the table?
Yakovenko: Last January the Russian side drew up the fundamentals of a package settlement of the North Korean nuclear problem; they essentially consist in a sequence of synchronized interlinked steps to be taken by the parties concerned that would result in the DPRK renouncing its nuclear program in exchange for international security and development guarantees. Our partners showed interest in this initiative. What was noteworthy, Russian ideas figured in the proposals put forward by the Korean side at the tripartite talks in Beijing. At the same time, unfortunately, since Russia's initiatives were not put to use right away, time was lost, the situation grew complicated in many ways, and now more radical steps are needed in order to pull back from the dangerous brink. Nevertheless, the fundamental approach of the Russian side remains unchanged: we are convinced that it is only the removal of concerns in a "package," on the basis of a broad compromise, that makes it possible to achieve the goals formulated by the world community for itself with regard to the situation on the Korean Peninsula.
Question: Is the DPRK today an irritant in Russian-US relations, as was the case with Iraq?
Yakovenko: Russian and US appraisals of world developments differ, to one extent or another, which is natural for sovereign nations. At the same time our approaches to the nuclear problem on the Korean Peninsula appear to pursue similar goals. They boil down to firmly ensuring WMD non-proliferation in that region, peaceful solutions to the existing problems and relaxation of tensions. As for the DPRK, that country and Russia have a history of diplomatic relations going back more than half a century and a Treaty of Friendship, Good-Neighborliness and Cooperation that was signed in February 2000. The US-North Korean relations have so far not been settled, which cannot help affecting Washington's approaches to diverse developments on the Korean Peninsula. In these circumstances Russia is ready to play a constructive role in the settlement of US-North Korean differences, naturally, to the extent that Russia's assistance is needed. We believe that in this situation we have far more room for cooperation than was the case with Iraq.
May 28, 2003
© Publication of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.
