Russia, DPRK, South Korea consider gas pipeline building

PARIS, November 1 (Itar-Tass) —— The project of a gas pipeline, suggested by Gazprom, may be advantageous for all the three countries, which are expected to implement it – Russia, North Korea (DPRK) and South Korea, President Lee Myung-bak of South Korea has said in an interview with Le Figaro-Economie, which was published on Tuesday. He responded to the question about the problems he is going to discuss at a meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, due to be held on November 2 in St.Petersburg. “At present the talks on the gas pipeline project are being actively held by Moscow and Pyongyang, but they are just beginning between Russia and South Korea. We are sure that the time will come, when all the three countries will pass over to join discussions. A number of conditions should be met, however, before it becomes possible. If this is done, the project will begin to be implemented quickly. If this is not done, the situation will be different,” said Lee Myung-bak. “The gas pipeline project, suggested by Gazprom, may be advantageous for all the three countries, which are expected to implement it – Russia, North Korea and South Korea,” he stressed. The gas pipeline, which will be 1,100 kilometres long, is intended for the transportation of Russian natural gas to South Korea across the DPRK territory. The project passed preliminary discussion at the 11th meeting of the Russian-Korean joint commission on economic, scientific and technical cooperation, which was held in Seoul last week. According to the estimates of Russian experts, the value of the project will be six billion dollars.