Russia believes enhanced cooperation between Moscow and the two Koreas will help create a "favorable" environment for improvement in inter-Korean ties, Moscow's new envoy to South Korea said Tuesday.
Alexander Timonin, Russia's former ambassador to North Korea, arrived in Seoul late last month as Moscow's new top envoy to South Korea, replacing Konstantin Vnukov. Timonin is the first former Russian envoy to Pyongyang to be transferred to the South to head Russia's embassy in Seoul.
Timonin said Russia "devotes special attention" to trilateral economic cooperation between Russia and the two Koreas as it could pave the way for improvement in inter-Korean ties.
"In our view, enhanced cooperation in this area will create more favorable conditions for the normalization of inter-Korean relations," Timonin said during a welcoming speech on the occasion of Russia's Diplomatic Service Day. "I look forward to onward joint activities in the field of our South Korean partners."
The three nations have been engaged in the so-called Rajin-Khasan logistics project, which is designed to make North Korea's northeastern port city of Rajin a logistics hub by linking it to Russia's Trans-Siberian railway.
Timonin expressed Moscow's interest in seeking integration into the Asia-Pacific region while also expressing concerns about confrontation in the region, particularly citing the United States' bid to expand its missile-defense system.
Washington is considering deploying a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), an integral part of its missile-defense system, to South Korea, citing evolving threats from North Korea.
China has recently voiced opposition against such a possible deployment.
"We regard the U.S. intention to extend the global missile-defense system to the Asia-Pacific region as counterproductive and destabilizing," Timonin said.
When it comes to the issue of North Korea's nuclear ambition, the ambassador said Russia will do its part to contribute to the resumption of the long-stalled six-party talks "as soon as possible."
"We work closely with the Republic of Korea in search of ways to settle the nuclear problem of the Korean Peninsula and to resume the six-party talks as soon as possible," Timonin said, referring to the full name of South Korea.
The six-party talks on the North's denuclearization involving the two Koreas, the United States, China, Japan and Russia have been stalled since late 2008, when North Korea abruptly walked away from the negotiation table.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Seoul and Moscow.
"For me, (as Russia's new ambassador to Seoul), the most important task is to promote in every possible way the further development of Russian-South Korean cooperation," he said.
(Yonhap)