Russia seeks regular talks with China, North Korea to confront US threats: Lavrov
Russia’s foreign minister has proposed regular security talks with North Korea and China to deal with what he described as increasing US-led regional military threats.
Sergei Lavrov made remarks on Thursday when he met North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his top diplomat during a visit to Pyongyang on Thursday.
Russia's Tass news agency reported that Lavrov met Kim for talks that lasted about an hour. The foreign minister also met his North Korean counterpart, Choe Son Hui, a day earlier and lauded deepening bilateral cooperation.
Following the meeting with the North Korean leader, Lavrov told reporters that he supports holding regular talks on security issues on the Korean Peninsula with North Korea and China.
“The United States, Japan and South Korea intensifying military activity here and Washington working toward moving strategic infrastructure, including nuclear aspects, here, are of great concern to us and our North Korean friends,” the top Russian diplomat was quoted as saying.
“We oppose this unconstructive and dangerous policy with a course toward de-escalation and inadmissibility of escalating tensions here,” Lavrov added.
The recent flurry of diplomacy between Russia and North Korea underscores how their interests are aligning in the face of their intensifying confrontations with the United States and its regional allies.
The US has been expanding regular military drills with South Korea and temporarily deploying more powerful military assets around the Korean Peninsula. The US and South Korea have also resumed some trilateral military exercises with Japan.
Choe also in remarks said her meeting with Lavrov “will become an important stage in terms of the implementation of the agreements” reached by Kim and President Putin in Moscow last month.
Lavrov during the meeting with Choe said Russia deeply values North Korea’s “unwavering and principled support” for the ongoing special operation in Ukraine as well as Pyongyang’s decision to recognize the independence of Russian-backed annexed regions in eastern Ukraine, according to Russia’s Foreign Ministry.
ME
