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Lavrov plans to discuss situation on Korean peninsula with North Korean counterpart

"We have always been in favor of getting the negotiation process going without any preconditions in order to seek to achieve lasting peace and stability in Northeast Asia," the Russian foreign minister added

MOSCOW, January 16. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is looking forward to discussing the current situation on the Korean peninsula with North Korean counterpart Choe Son Hui.

"Regarding the international agenda, we would like to continue our trust-based dialogue on the situation on the Korean peninsula, in Northeast Asia in general," the top diplomat said in his opening remarks at talks in Moscow with his North Korean counterpart.

Russia has laid out to the United Nations Security Council its proposals for how to settle the situation on the Korean Peninsula, Lavrov said.

"We have always been in favor of getting the negotiation process going without any preconditions in order to seek to achieve lasting peace and stability in Northeast Asia," the foreign minister said. "Russia independently and together with China has submitted relevant proposals to the UN Security Council. They are on the negotiating table," he added.

At the same time, he said, the policy of the United States and its allies to create threats to the DPRK's security "is not at all conducive to moving in a positive direction." "We will continue to call for the rejection of any moves that lead to the escalation of tension," the Russian foreign minister emphasized.

Lavrov also reiterated that Russia and the DPRK interact on a broader geographical scale on security issues in the Asia-Pacific region, where universal mechanisms should be preserved. "These mechanisms, which were shaped long ago based on ASEAN proposals and functioned successfully for many decades, are now being eroded as a result, once again, of attempts by the United States and its allies to create closed formats, block formats and try to advance the infrastructure of the North Atlantic Alliance in this region," Lavrov pointed out.