PRESS RELEASE
Russia, South Korea, North Korea Support Trilateral Development Projects
Sept. 7, 2017 (EIRNS)—Russian Far East Development Minister Aleksandr Galushka told TASS today that at a meeting yesterday, a delegation from North Korea, led by its Minister of Foreign Economic Relations, Kom Young-jae, came with their own proposals of possible areas of cooperation with Russia. These will be studied by Russia, Galushka said. He said the cooperative projects would have to be within the framework of the restrictions imposed by the UN.
President Putin said yesterday, after having met with South Korean President Moon, that Russia was ready to develop trilateral ties with both Koreas, which might include "piping Russian gas to Korea, and integration of the electric grids and railway systems, of Russia, South and North Korea."
South Korean President Moon Jae-in, following his meeting with President Putin in Vladivostok yesterday, said although previous projects between Russia and South Korea had not been developed, "we decided to develop the projects that may be implemented in the near future, primarily the projects in the Far East." These "will not only contribute to the prosperity of the two states but also to changes in North Korea, which will became a basis for trilateral relations," he said.
Speaking at the plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum yesterday, President Moon was specific: "I propose to build ’nine bridges’ between Korea and Russia for simultaneous and multilateral cooperation," TASS reported.
"Nine bridges mean the bridge of gas, railway, the Northern Sea Route, shipbuilding, the creation of working groups, agriculture, and other types of cooperation".
Moon also said he agreed with Russian President Vladimir Putin to establish a forum for inter-regional cooperation. And that "South Korea is interested in the early signing of a free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union."
