South Korea and Russia have agreed to closely coordinate measures on the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) under the resolution of the UN
Security Council, the South Korean Presidential Office said yesterday.
The agreement came after a meeting between South Korean President Roh
Moo-hyun and Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov, who arrived here earlier
Tuesday for a two-day visit.
"Roh and Fradkov agreed on the need to cope with the North (DPRK)'s nuclear
problems through a mixture of dialogue and sanctions, like the ones imposed by
the UN Security Council," said Yoon Tae-young, spokesman for the Presidential
Office.
"For that purpose, they also agreed on the importance of an internationally
coordinated response," Yoon added.
Roh and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin talked by telephone on Monday
evening and agreed to solve the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula through
dialogue.
The DPRK announced on Oct. 9 that it has conducted a successful underground
nuclear test.
The UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution last Saturday,
condemning the nuclear test, demanding that the DPRK eliminate its nuclear
weapons and nuclear programs, and imposing sanctions on the DPRK in spheres
related to its nuclear, ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction.