YUZHNO-SAKHALANINSK, April 28. /TASS/. Russia is acting in its home region when it is building relations with neighboring North Korea while the United States goes beyond its home region when dealing with matters linked with North Korea, Russian president’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov said on Sunday.
"For us, North Korea is a neighboring country. We have a common border and when we deal with North Korea we are acting in our home region," he said in an interview with the "Moscow. Kremlin. Putin" program on the Rossiya-1 television channel. "When the American deal with North Korea they are acting in our region, not their."
Commenting on the Thursday’s talks between the Russian and North Korean leaders, the Kremlin spokesman pointed to the North Korean leader’s professionalism and competence. "Kim Jong-un is in the know of the details of the materials. He demonstrates quick reaction, knows everything inside out and has his own position. He looks to be a quite experienced, well-educated and very balanced leader," Peskov said.
Negotiations between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un were held on April 25 on Russky Island in Vladivostok. The leaders thoroughly discussed the state and prospects of interstate relations and dwelled on issues linked to the situation on the Korean Peninsula, in particular the denuclearization problem. The Vladivostok summit became the first face-to-face meeting between Putin and Kim Jong-un.