HONG KONG. Feb 7 (Interfax) - Russia considers it necessary to stabilize bilateral relations with South Korea and refrain from actions that could make them worse, Russian Ambassador in Seoul Georgy Zinoviev said in an interview with Yonhap.
"Our priority is to maintain and stabilize bilateral relations, to prevent them from worsening to the level of confrontation, and to avoid actions that might cause a further deterioration," Yonhap quoted Zinoviev as saying.
""So, I believe we can create conditions to bring relations back onto a constructive, normal track," he said.
Zinoviev noted that Moscow-Seoul relations are not as good as he would like them to be, but said they "have not hit rock bottom either."
The two sides are continuing their dialogue despite their differences, he said.
"I believe that interaction is better than no contact at all, even if that might be difficult," Zinoviev said.
Russia may cross South Korea off of the list of unfriendly countries if Seoul lifts its sanctions against Russia, he said.
Zinoviev took up his ambassadorial position in Seoul in January 2023. He pledged to work on progress in relations with South Korea no matter the difficulties.
"Hopefully, there will be many happy events rather than sad ones in the future of our bilateral relations," Zinoviev said.
"Russia is ready to take this path, but we need Korean officials to think likewise," he said.
The South Korean Foreign Ministry summoned Zinoviev last week to protest against Russian comments on Seoul's stance on North Korea's nuclear doctrine.
On February 3, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol described North Korea as the only country in the world that legalized the preemptive use of nuclear weapons. According to Yonhap, this statement was criticized by the Russian Foreign Ministry, which led to the Russian ambassador being summoned.
South Korea expressed "deep regret" at the Russian comments and warned that such remarks might cause bilateral relations to deteriorate, Yonhap said.
Tensions between South Korea and Russia grew at the end of January. "We would like to warn Seoul against injudicious steps that could ruin its once friendly relations with Russia," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in late January in response to reports from South Korea "alleging Russia's military-technical cooperation with Pyongyang."
Russia is entitled to develop friendly relations with North Korea, Zakharova said at the time. "Our interaction with that country has deep historical roots and does not threaten the security of neighboring states," she said. Russia "has honored and will honor its international obligations under the corresponding UN Security Council resolutions," she added.
"Obviously, Washington is behind Seoul's harsh statements, and it threw out this news essentially in order to entangle its Asian ally South Korea in the Ukrainian conflict," Zakharova said. This follows from the South Korean defense minister's remark on the need to provide Kiev with "direct military support, including shipments of lethal weapons," she said. Russia views the provision of such weapons to Kiev as "a red line" that Seoul should not cross.
South Korea tightened control over exports of dual-use goods that could be used for military purposes to Russia in December.