The following article was contributed by Russian Ambassador to Korea Konstantin V. Vnukov on the occasion of the National Day of the Russian Federation. ― Ed.


The home and foreign policy of the Russian Federation is determined by the long-term goals of the modernization of the country, diversification of its economy, and its transition to the innovation model of development.

The renewed concept of foreign policy of the Russian Federation, approved this February by President Vladimir Putin, noted that Russia aims to maintain friendly relations with the Republic of Korea, based on the principles of good neighborliness and mutually beneficial cooperation. It aims to use these connections to accelerate regional development and to support inter-Korean political dialogue.

Diplomatic relations between Russia and the Republic of Korea were established in 1990. Nowadays there is practically no field not covered by Russia-Korea cooperation, and relations have undoubtedly become one of the major priorities of our policy in the Asia-Pacific. Summits have played a large part in the process: Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the presidents of the two countries have met 26 times.

Putin’s greeting message on the election of Park Geun-hye as president of the Republic of Korea highlighted our commitment to the development of the strategic partnership with South Korea to improve the efficiency of foreign policy cooperation, which is of particular importance after Korea’s election as a nonpermanent member of the U.N. Security Council.

We attach great importance to the visit of Park to the Russian Federation, which is expected to take place in September 2013 for the G20 summit in St. Petersburg, and will give new impetus to further development of bilateral relations. We presume that during Park’s visit to Russia, several important intergovernmental documents will be signed, one of which will be on allowing each other’s citizens on all types of passports to stay in their country for 60 days without a visa.

We highly value Park’s assurances that she will pay close attention to the projects of trilateral cooperation involving Russia, South Korea and North Korea ― the connection of the trans-Korean railway with the trans-Siberian railway, gas pipeline construction, and installation of transmission lines from Russia to South Korea via the territory of the North.

Despite the recent situation on the Korean Peninsula, which has been complicating our joint plans, we hope that market factors will not overshadow a promising strategic perspective. Russia is ready to continue the work on the elaboration of guidelines for the peace and security in Northeast Asia that we promote as the chair of a corresponding working group of six-party talks on KPNP. The ideas embodied by the Russian side in this document intersect with South Korean approaches as proclaimed by Park’s “trustpolitik” to North Korea and her initiative to establish a regional mechanism of peace and cooperation.

We are satisfied with the bilateral economic and trade relations in a number of areas of cooperation. In 2011 and 2012, bilateral trade reached $25 billion. We believe that the participation of South Korean investors in Russian federal programs, including the program of the development of Siberia and the Far East, will provide growth in such large-scale bilateral projects in the automobile and petrochemical industries, fisheries, marine and rail transportation, and energy, and allow us to increase the volume of trade to $30 billion by 2015.

We are sure that the further stirring up of fruitful bilateral cooperation will not only improve our nations’ prosperity, but also strengthen international and regional peace and security.