MOSCOW. March 17 (Interfax) - Russia hopes that countries that are involved in the six-party talks on the Korean peninsula nuclear problem will make effort to resume the negotiations as soon as possible.
"Russia calls on all parties concerned to take into consideration each others' concerns and make effort to resume the six-party talks on the Korean peninsula nuclear issue as soon as possible," Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov said at a reception dedicated to the 65th anniversary of signing the USSR-North Korea accord on economic and humanitarian cooperation.
Speaking about the implementation of Russian-North Korean economic projects, he said that "we together with your Korean colleagues seek practical results, and such results have already been reached, in particular I can give an example of the successful implementation of the Hasan-Rajin project, and a number of South Korean companies have recently stated their intention to join this project."
"Of course, the fulfillment of all of these big plans on the further development of economic, political and humanitarian cooperation between our countries requires an appropriate atmosphere on the Korean peninsula," Morgulov said.
He also pointed out the importance of the economic and humanitarian cooperation agreement between the USSR and North Korea and noted that Russia is looking forward to the further development of bilateral relations.
"Just as our Korean partners we are looking forward to the further development of our relations and this in particular was discussed during a visit of chairman of the North Korean Supreme Assembly presidium Kim Yong Nam, who had a brief but substantial meeting with President Vladimir Putin and had talks with Federation Council speaker Valentina Matviyenko," Morgulov said.
The upcoming visits of Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Trutnev, Minister for the Far East Development Alexander Galushka and Tatarstan's head Rustam Minnikhanov to North Korea that are scheduled for mid-March are called to promote Russian-North Korean cooperation, he said.
"We are sure that these meetings will give a powerful impetus to the further development of our interaction in practical spheres," Morgulov said.