Russia is interested in establishing lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula and is ready to assist the two Koreas in reaching it, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Monday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th January, 2021) Russia is interested in establishing lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula and is ready to assist the two Koreas in reaching it, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Monday.
"We are interested in a lasting peace on the peninsula," Lavrov said at a press conference, once again expressing Moscow's "sincere desire to assist the establishment of lasting peace and harmony" in the region.
According to the minister, despite difficulties in relations between Washington, Seoul and Pyongyang, the sides continue to refrain from any drastic practical steps in the military sphere that could have led to an escalation of tensions around the peninsula.
The minister also said that though many people paid attention to a military parade that commemorated the 8th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea, there were no actions that would actually create a material basis for escalation in practice.
The United States and North Korea had two denuclearization summits in 2018 and 2019, but they eventually faced a deadlock, as Washington demanded that Pyongyang completely dismantle all of its nuclear facilities in order to be given sanctions relief, while Pyongyang insisted on that part of the restrictions being lifted before denuclearization begins.
North Korea also expects the South to demonstrate "sincerity" in relations, which includes the cessation of joint drills with the US and hostile actions, as well as the implementation of all inter-Korean agreements.
