Russian, South Korean delegations discuss North Korean nuclear settlement

The Russian Embassy in Beijing hosted a meeting between the Russian and South Korean delegations as part of preparations for the multilateral talks on the North Korean nuclear problem opening in the Chinese capital on Wednesday.

Representatives of the two countries exchanged opinions on the main principles of the North Korean nuclear settlement, said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov heading the Russian delegation.

According to him, Moscow and Seoul have no contradictions on general principles of the settlement however, the sides have their own understanding of "very many details".

Nevertheless, the Russian diplomat expressed satisfaction with the consultations and expressed hope for "further productive contacts".

According to him, both the South Korean and Russian delegations are "cautiously optimistic" about the tomorrow's multilateral talks.

The Russian deputy foreign minister does not rule out that freezing of the North Korean nuclear programme can be at issue at the forthcoming talks. However, the achievement of an agreement on the main principles to continue the process of negotiations will be most important, Losyukov said.