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Russia has high assessment of relations with North Korea — ambassador

According to Russian Ambassador to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Alexander Matsegora, special hopes are pinned on economic cooperation

© ITAR-TASS/Yuri Smityuk

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North Korea, Russia to hold first Year of Friendship

PYONGYANG, February 12. /TASS/. Several celebrations and various events are planned for 2015 in the framework of the Year of Friendship between Russia and North Korea, Russian Ambassador to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Alexander Matsegora told TASS on Thursday.

The 70th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) and National Liberation of Korea will also be celebrated in 2015.

Matsegora said Russia had a rather high assessment of the development of relations with North Korea. "An active political dialogue is maintained at the highest and high level. The leaders of the two countries regularly exchange messages. In November 2014, Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed in Moscow North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s special envoy, a high-ranking member of the ruling Workers' Party Choe Ryong-hae. It was the main event in the bilateral relations in 2014," the ambassador added.

Talking about the level of cooperation between the two countries, Matsegora said: "Taking into account the considerable unused potential, we are not yet satisfied with the level of its development. A lot has to be done in this direction in the future." Special hopes are pinned on economic cooperation, the ambassador noted. Among top priorities in this sphere, Matsegora named adopting settlements in rubles and implementing trade and investment projects by the formula "Russian goods and investment for Korea’s mineral resources."

Russia also hopes for three-side economic cooperation with DPRK and South Korea, Matsegora said. Several three-party projects are currently being developed, including transfer of Russian electricity to the South via the North Korean territory, participation of the Russian business in the Kaesong Industrial Region, and laying of the transit gas pipeline, the ambassador said.

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