A top South Korean envoy is set to begin talks with Russian officials in Moscow, in the framework of Seoul's drive to resolve the crisis over North Korea's nuclear program.
Moscow is a traditional ally of Pyongyang, and South Korea's Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Han-Kyung is expected to urge Moscow to persuade the communist state to abandon the program, the BBC reported Sunday.
Kim told reporters upon arrival in the Russian capital that South Korea, Japan, China, Russia and the US all had a "common task to solve this problem through peaceful means".
Tensions heightened last month when North Korea decided to reactivate a nuclear complex, which had been out of action since a 1994 agreement with the United States.
Seoul, for its part, has taken on a self-appointed role as mediator between Washington and Pyongyang, and during the last couple of days, South Korea has held a series of high-ranking diplomatic meetings regarding the situation.
Moreover, South Korea is also due to send a presidential envoy to the United States and Japan this week for talks on the crisis. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
