Russia's Peacemaking Mission in Korea to Continue

As Igor Ivanov, Russia's Foreign Minister, said yesterday while talking to the Japanese Kiodo Tsusin news agency, 'There is a lot Russia can do to help Korean settlement'. He noted that Russia's role was large in arranging a meeting between North Korean Foreign Minister, Pak Nam Sun, Colin Powell, the US Secretary of State, and Ms. Yoriko Kawaguchi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Mr. Ivanov said Russia's peacemaking mission in Korea would be continued and defined Russia's role as 'not as much that of go-between as a catalyst for creating favorable conditions for a dialogue between the two Koreas'.

The Russian Minister expressed his assuredness that the situation in the Korean peninsula was beginning to change for the better while there was simply no alternative to a dialogue and cooperation between the two Korean states, Russia being interested in making the Korean peninsula a region of peace, stability, and prosperity.

'Both Koreas', Igor Ivanov said, 'believe in Russia's sincerity and that is why the Koreans want us to continue our mission'.