North Korean-Russian Strategic Dialogue Begins in Moscow

Nov. 20, 2019 (EIRNS)—North Korea’s First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Choe Son Hui is in Moscow today for the first round of strategic dialogue on key international issues, regional and bilateral agenda. At the same time Russia and China has made some new proposals to resolve the Korean nuclear issue.

“Mrs. Choe Son Hui has arrived at the invitation of Russian First Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Titov. It is a format of strategic dialogue,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov told TASS. “We will discuss a whole range of international issues, regional problems, bilateral relations,” he said.

“We have just recently coordinated an updated version [of the settlement plan] with our Chinese friends,” Morgulov said. “We plan to distribute this updated version among our partners. We are talking about a draft plan, and no details can be announced yet.”

Morgulov continued that the plan will be presented to North Korea’s first vice foreign minister. “Ms. Choe Sun-hui has arrived in Russia to take part in strategic dialogue. I think we will use this opportunity to present the plan to our North Korean partners. We will also present the plan to our American partners and others,” he concluded.

He also stated:

“We actively call on both sides—North Korean and American—to resume dialogue as soon as possible. Only through peaceful dialogue, issues that exist in bilateral relations can be resolved and trust can be built....

“We remember that Chairman of the North Korean State Council Kim Jong Un said that if no breakthrough is made by 2020, North Korea may consider changing its current course.  We hope that contacts will resume in the nearest future, and there will be no need to change the course.”

Morgulov put forward the possibility of a gradual removal of sanctions against North Korea at the second stage of implementation of the Russian-Chinese roadmap. “We think that as U.S.-North Korean dialogue progresses, we may start discussing, including on the platform of the UN Security Council, the issue of gradually lifting sanctions,” Morgulov said. “This removal process should be proportionate to those steps that the sides will agree on.”