Russian Ambassador Konstantin Vnukov has called on Korea’s new political administration to implement a strategic partnership with Russia.

The ambassador said he wanted the two countries to cooperate further during his speech given at a celebration of the national Day of Russia on June 12.

He reported that returning Russian president Vladimir Putin had named Korea a key country in the Asia-Pacific region in his first foreign policy decree on May 7, urging for stronger ties between the two countries.

“I’d like to express my hope that a new Korean administration, which is to be organized after the presidential elections in December, will maintain and further develop the course toward strategic partnership with the Russian Federation. We are prepared well to jointly implement this task,” Vnukov said.

The ambassador said that he thought Korea and Russia had long shared the same principles of: “Building a modern, powerful and prosperous state based on the primacy of law, developed democracy, modernized and competitive economy and pragmatic, open and multidimensional foreign policy.”

The Day of Russia has been celebrated since 1992, and the country has had diplomatic relations with Korea since 1990.

“We are pleased with the present level of Russian-Korean relations, which have been developed tremendously for over twenty years and proved their value and our expectations,” Vnukov said. “The bilateral partnership is based not on someone’s good will, but on the balance of national interests; it provides practical advantages for both sides and contributes to the strengthening of peace and stability in North East Asia and Asia-Pacific region (as a) whole.”

By Kirsty Taylor (kirstyt@heraldcorp.com)