MOSCOW. Dec 13 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian Defense Ministry's delegation is visiting North Korea to intensify the process of settling the crisis surrounding Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs, Alexander Kanshin, a deputy chairman of the Russian Defense Ministry's Public Council, told Interfax-AVN on Wednesday.
"The purpose of the military-political and diplomatic efforts is clear: return all participants to the negotiating table and eliminate the threatening provocative military rhetoric and demonstration of strength on the part of certain countries. Considering this, professional military-expert analysis and conclusions might be of decisive importance today," Kanshin said in commenting on a report made earlier on Wednesday that a Russian Defense Ministry delegation led by deputy chief of the National Defense Management Center Viktor Kalganov had been working in Pyongyang since December 12.
In organizing the visit of Russian military specialists to North Korea, the Defense Ministry is acting in keeping with the Russian leadership's political guidelines. "The agreed contacts between our military and Chinese friends and partners from Japan and South Korea, as well as the trip by a group of military specialists to North Korea, have been undertaken to promote the roadmap proposed jointly by Russia and China," Kanshin said.
"Russia is a crucially important participant in the process of settling the grave crisis surrounding the DPRK's nuclear and missile programs," he said.