All news

Pyongyang wants to improve relations with Moscow — ambassador

On September 11, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution on the toughening of sanctions against North Korea

MOSCOW, September 12. /TASS/. Pyongyang treats the traditions of friendship between Russia and the DPRK caringly and it aims to develop this relationship further, Kim Hyun Joong, the DPRK ambassador in Moscow said on Tuesday at a reception marking the 69th anniversary since the foundation of the country.

"Our party (the Korean Workers' Party TASS) and our government are treating the traditions of friendship with care and they set a goal for themselves to develop this relationship in line with effective agreements," he said.

"The DPRK has turned into a nuclear power and no enemy will dare harass it," Ambassador Kim said. "Under the wise guidance of Kim Jong-un, we're scoring achievements in building a socialist state. No kind of force is able to halt our development today."

"The situation on the Korean Peninsula has been driven to the brink of a war by the U.S. hullabaloo against the DPRK," he said. "The testing of a thermonuclear bomb is a normal process essential for the parallel development of the economy and the nuclear potential."

Moscow calls on Pyongyang to be wise and demonstrate readiness to settle the problems of the Korean Peninsula by political and diplomatic means, Russian Ambassador at Large Oleg Burmistrov said.

"[We hope that] in the current difficult situation North Korea’s leadership will demonstrate wisdom and readiness to settle all the problems of the Korean Peninsula by political and diplomatic means," he said.

"Russia is ready for the most close dialogue with North Korea in the interests of settling the Korean Peninsula’s problems, which is a major prerequisite for the normalization of the situation in Northeastern Asia," he stressed.

On Monday, September 11, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution on the toughening of sanctions against the DPRK in response to the most recent nuclear test a sixth test since the beginning of this year. The document drafted by the U.S. rallied support of all members of the Security Council, including Russia and China that have the right to veto.

The new restrictions envision a ban on the purchases of North Korean textiles and the exports of gas condensate to the country.

Besides, the Security Council imposed restrictions on the exports of crude oil and oil derivatives to the DPRK. The export volumes have been restricted to 500,000 barrels in the period of October 1 through December 31, 2017, and to 2 mln barrels throughout 2018 and subsequent years.