SEOUL, December 23. /TASS/. Moscow is ready to facilitate the resumption of dialogue with North Korea on the nuclear issue, Russian Ambassador to Seoul Andrey Kulik said in an interview with TASS on Thursday.
"Russia is actively engaged in the search for solutions to the Korean Peninsula’s issues, including the nuclear one. We believe that there is no alternative to a comprehensive and gradual approach to resolving the situation in the region, which should be done solely through political and diplomatic means," he pointed out.
"We are convinced that step-by-step activities based on the principles of equality and a gradual and synchronized approach will make it possible to ensure the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and lay the foundation for a solid system of peace and security here," the envoy added.
The Russian ambassador noted that "recent bilateral contacts show that Russia is ready to make a real contribution to unblocking the negotiation process, easing military and political tensions and building dialogue and cooperation between all the involved parties."
Kulik also said that Russia and China had come up with a roadmap and an action plan on a comprehensive solution to the Korean Peninsula issue, which particularly involved efforts to gradually improve North Korea’s relations with South Korea, the United States and Japan, as well as to build political, economic and humanitarian cooperation. "Moscow and Seoul share common or similar fundamental approaches to resolving the Korean Peninsula issue. Russia and South Korea seek to create an atmosphere of trust between the involved countries (the goal is enshrined in the Singapore Joint Statement adopted by the US and North Korea in 2018), which is crucial for advancing the peace process on the peninsula," the ambassador stressed.
Russia and China submitted a draft political and humanitarian resolution to the UN Security Council, whose adoption would confirm the parties’ determination to return to a substantive dialogue, Kulik said, adding that South Korean President Moon Jae-in, in turn, had suggested adopting a political declaration marking the end of the Korean War in order to give impetus to the negotiation process. "Russia is determined to closely interact with all the interested parties in order to end a prolonged pause in the political process on the Korean Peninsula and prevent the security situation from unfolding in a negative way," the envoy concluded.