Seoul ready to cooperate closer with Moscow in strengthening peace.

2/9 Tass 195

MOSCOW, September 2 (Itar-Tass) - The South Korean government hopes
for consolidating cooperation with Russia in strengthening peace and
stability in the Korean Peninsula.
This statement was made on Thursday by former foreign minister and
present chairman of the Council for Foreign Relations of this republic Hon
Sun Young. He read the lecture "Aims of Korean diplomacy and future of
Korean-Russian relations" at the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign
Ministry.
"The bilateral relations between Russia and South Korea now remain at
the level of strategic partnership," Hon noted, calling attention to "a
considerable increase in mutual trade and investments over the past 20
years". According to the former foreign minister, "economic cooperation is
the key for partnership relations between the two countries".
"Mutual relations between Korea and Russia are at a level when it is
possible and necessary to hold talks and cooperate in all questions of
mutual partnership as well as in regional and global problems," the Korean
diplomat continued. "Our countries are now in relations of close mutual
trust, under which they can exchange opinions and proposals on any
issues," he said with conviction.
The former minister expressed hope that "partnership relations between
Moscow and Seoul will come increasingly closer to comprehensive
cooperation". He noted at the same time that this process is already in
progress, spreading to scientific, educational and other spheres. "I'm
sure that Korea can become Russia's outstanding partner in North East Asia
as well as on the global level," he continued.
Turning to regional security and stability, chairman of the Council
for Foreign Relations emphasized that "possession of nuclear weapons by
North Korea is a provocation not only for the Korean Peninsula, but for
North East Asia". "This is a challenge to peaceful co-existence between
the South and the North, a refusal from the historic current, leading us
to unification," he stated.
The ex-foreign minister expressed gratitude to the Russian government
for "consistent and cognizant position and political will on this
question, aimed at peace". "We hope for strengthening cooperation with
Russia to restore peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula," the Korean
diplomat said in conclusion.
-0-bur/gor