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Tensions on the Korean Peninsula

Russian, North Korean diplomats discuss denuclearization talks

The parties exchanged views on the situation on the Korean Peninsula in light of talks between North Korea and the United States

PYONGYANG, November 23. /TASS/. Russian Ambassador to North Korea Alexander Matsegora has held a meeting with North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui to discuss the negotiation process between Pyongyang and Washington concerning the denuclearization issue, the Russian embassy said in a Facebook statement.

TENSIONS ON THE KOREAN PENINSULA

According to the embassy, the parties exchanged views on the situation on the Korean Peninsula in light of talks between North Korea and the United States. They agreed that all the existing problems must be resolved based on "a phased and synchronized approach."

The meeting also involved Director of the Russian Center for Energy and Security Studies (CENESS) Anton Khlopkov.

Khlopkov earlier told TASS that Pyongyang would not agree to destroy its nuclear weapons unless Washington and Seoul took reciprocal steps. According to him, all parties need to act on the basis of reciprocity and respect each other’s national interests in order to achieve further progress in the denuclearization process.

Inter-Korean summits

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held their first ever meeting in the border village of Panmunjom in April. The inter-Korean summit, the first in more than ten years, resulted in the signing of a joint declaration - the Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification of the Korean Peninsula.

At a September meeting in Pyongyang, the two leaders signed a joint declaration, in which they agreed to take measures for further denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, improve bilateral relations and resume cooperation in areas where it is possible at the moment. According to Moon Jae-in, North Korea agreed to dismantle its nuclear reactor at the Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center. Besides, the two countries’ defense ministers signed an agreement aimed at reducing military tensions and the risk of an armed conflict.

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Situation on the Korean Peninsula

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