VIENNA (Sputnik) — Following the talks with US State Secretary Rex Tillerson in Vienna, Lavrov urged to stop "the spiral of confrontations, gambles, provocations" around North Korea's nuclear program, adding that Russia was ready to mediate negotiations between Pyongyang and Washington.
"We have explained how we see the feasibility of the Russian-Chinese road map on de-escalation of tensions and the creation of conditions that will enable the start of the negotiations in any format, that the parties concerned would accept. We know that North Korea is first of all interested in a dialogue on security assurances with the United States. We are ready to support that, ready to promote such negotiations," according to the Russian minister.
Lavrov noted that "our American colleagues, Rex Tillerson, have heard this."
🇷🇺🇺🇸"На полях" Совета министров иностранных дел ОБСЕ в Вене началась встреча Сергея Лаврова и Госсекретаря США Рекса Тиллерсона@RussiaInUSA @USEmbRu @StateDept pic.twitter.com/k78vsWv0ZQ
— МИД России 🇷🇺 (@MID_RF) December 7, 2017
Tensions on the Korean Peninsula run high after the recent Pyongyang's missile launch, the most powerful so far. The missile test was universally condemned as another dangerous provocation.
READ MORE: Heightened Alert? US Warplanes Make Korean Peninsula Flyover
Meanwhile, Russia called for the world's powers to refrain from further escalating tensions. In particular, Moscow suggested that that the US and South Korea cease conducting military exercises on the Korean Peninsula, whereas North Korea, in turn, stops the nuclear and missile tests.
