FROM EIR DAILY ALERT

---

Russia Asks North Korea and United States To Start Talks

Feb. 7, 2018 (EIRNS)—Russia’s Ambassador to North Korea Alexander Matsegora, currently on an official visit to the United Nations in New York, told Russian journalists that the United States and North Korea should begin negotiations: “The conditions are very good now, pointing to a positive attitude; the Olympic Games [in PyeongChang]; the Olympic ceasefire, and no [military] exercises,” he said. “We call on them: ‘Dear friends, let’s begin!’ ”

Matsegora will attend a session of the UN Security Council Committee on sanctions against Pyongyang, and has already met with officials from the two Koreas, including Pyongyang’s UN envoy Ja Song Nam.

He will be delivering the idea that “the sanctions have run their course and cannot be expanded any further.” He also said the existing sanctions “have a huge negative impact on humanitarian situation” in the country, but do not help to solve the nuclear program. “The time has come to negotiate,” Matsegora said, urging implementation of the Russian-Chinese roadmap that envisages step-by-step settlement of the crisis on the Korean Peninsula. “No one has come up with anything better so far,” he said.

He said Russia has stated it will deport North Korean workers in line with UN Security Council resolution adopted last December. Matsegora said that the Russian authorities do not forcefully deport North Koreans who do not want to return. “We don’t return anyone to North Korea by force. We never did.”