Moscow Expects Kim’s Proposals on Inter-Korean Cooperation to Yield Results

VLADIVOSTOK (Sputnik) - Moscow hopes that the proposals of North Korea's head Kim Jong-un on inter-Korean cooperation will manage to yield concrete results, Russian Ambassador to North Korea Alexander Matsegora said.

"We expect that the impulse that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un gave in his New Year's speech, which contained proposals on inter-Korean cooperation, will bring about concrete results," Russian Ambassador to North Korea Alexander Matsegora told the Public television broadcaster of Primorye.

Russia also hopes that Seoul and Pyongyang will reach agreements on humanitarian issues and start discussions on economic cooperation despite the existing sanctions against North Korea at the upcoming meeting between Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, the diplomat added.

"We really hope that the two Koreas will manage to agree upon humanitarian issues. In particular, I know that they are going to discuss the issue of separated families," Matsegora noted.

Russia is committed to the complete implementation of the UN Security Council resolutions on North Korea, though it will not completely abandon its cooperation with Pyongyang due to their neighborly relations, the ambassador underlined.

"Russia is certainly implementing all the articles of the resolutions that have been adopted on North Korea. These are tough points, they limit our cooperation in the economic field, financial sphere, and seriously complicate our ties in other areas as well. But, nevertheless, we have areas where we keep [cooperating]," Matsegora told the broadcaster.

READ MORE: Seoul May Sign Peace Treaty With Pyongyang — Senior Security Adviser

In his New Year’s speech, Kim expressed his readiness to resume talks with Seoul. On March 5-6, a high-ranking South Korean delegation visited North Korea. Upon the delegation's return, the South Korean presidential office announced that Seoul and Pyongyang had reached a historic agreement on holding the third ever summit between the countries’ leaders.

The North Korean chief has also expressed his willingness to hold talks with the United States. Kim's meeting with US President Donald Trump is slated to take place in May.