Lavrov forecasts short-term progress in N Korea nuke issue.

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27/9 Tass 100
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BEIJING, September 27 (Itar-Tass) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei
Lavrov forecasts progress in the settlement of the North Korean nuclear
problem in the short term. "In the foreseeable future we will be able to
state progress in this sphere," he told reporters.
Lavrov said that the situation on the Korean Peninsula was discussed
at Monday talks between RF President Dmitry Medvedev and Chinese President
Hu Jintao. "Our positions are the same - we seek stability on the Korean
Peninsula and in Northeast Asia in general," he said. In the view of
Lavrov, "unfortunately, the stability level at present is not that is
desired."
"Russia and China actively support the earliest resumption of the
six-sided talks on the nuclear problem settlement," Lavrov noted. He
stressed that "we have noticed recently that North Korea is also calling
for the resumption of such talks." The RF foreign minister said that
Russia is working with the other participants in the six-party talks in
order to resume the consultations in the near future.
The six-party talks aim to find a peaceful resolution to the security
concerns as a result of the North Korean nuclear weapons programme. There
has been a series of meetings with six participating states: the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK - North Korea); the Republic
of Korea (South Korea); the People's Republic of China; the United States
of America; the Russian Federation; and Japan.
These talks were a result of North Korea withdrawing from the Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in 2003. Apparent gains following the
fourth and fifth rounds were reversed by outside events. Five rounds of
talks from 2003 to 2007 produced little net progress until the third phase
of the fifth round of talks, when North Korea agreed to shut down its
nuclear facilities in exchange for fuel aid and steps towards the
normalization of relations with the United States and Japan. Responding
angrily to the United Nations Security Council's Presidential Statement
issued on April 13, 2009 that condemned the North Korean failed satellite
launch, the DPRK declared on April 14, 2009 that it would pull out of Six
Party Talks and that it would resume its nuclear enrichment programme in
order to boost its nuclear deterrent. North Korea has also expelled all
nuclear inspectors from the country.
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