MOSCOW. March 15 (Interfax) - Moscow played its role in processes that led to the agreements on holding a summit between the United States and North Korea, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
"Certainly, it is the sovereign right of these two countries. Nevertheless, Russia constantly and persistently called on both Washington and Pyongyang to launch dialogue as soon as possible, start direct discussions on the whole range of bilateral relations," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov told Interfax.
"In my opinion, our appeals produced an effect on both sides and helped them realize that there is no way [to resolve issues] other than a diplomatic one. So, we think we also contributed to the current positive development of the situation," he said.
The South Korean president's special envoy Chung Eui-yong, who visited Moscow on Tuesday, "expressed gratitude to the Russian side for its consistent efforts to normalize the situation," he said.