All news

Russia keen to facilitate US-North Korea dialogue, says diplomat

"It would be nice if the US side keeps the promises that it has voiced to solve the long-lasting and challenging international problem," Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said

MOSCOW, February 22. /TASS/. Moscow is ready to contribute to establishing connections between Washington and Pyongyang using diplomatic instruments, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a briefing on Friday.

"It would be nice if the US side keeps the promises that it has voiced to solve the long-lasting and challenging international problem," she said. "We would like the American side to implement what it has announced, meaning settlement of the situation," the diplomat said, adding that Russia would "facilitate establishing connections between the sides using diplomatic instruments."

US President Donald Trump announced on February 9 that his second meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would take place in Vietnam's capital Hanoi on February 27-28. The first ever summit between the US and North Korean leaders was held on June 12, 2018 in Singapore. The heads of state adopted a joint statement, in which Pyongyang confirmed its principled readiness to carry out full denuclearization, while the US agreed to provide security guarantees to North Korea. However, the sides discussed no concrete timeframe, saying that it should be determined during future negotiations.