South Korean Foreign Minister asks Lavrov to talk DPRK into dumping nuclear program

South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Pan Ki-mun has asked his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov to persuade the PDRK into abandoning its nuclear program during his visit to Pyongyang.

"Taking advantage of the close relations between Russia and North Korea, I have asked Sergei Lavrov to persuade the DPRK into abandoning its nuclear program and explain that this will put Pyongyang closer to the international community, ensure security, economic growth and a higher standard of living for the DPRK", Pan Ki-mun told a press conference in Seoul following the talks with Mr. Lavrov.

"Russia has a large potential for playing a more active and important role in the Korean settlement. Sergei Lavrov's forthcoming visit to North Korea is of great importance and, I think, it will be crowned with success", the South Korean foreign minister said.

In his turn, Sergei Lavrov said that, meeting with the North Korean leadership during his July 4-5 visit to Pyongyang, he is going to discuss bilateral relations between Moscow and Pyongyang.

"There is a range of specific questions in this field. Russia has just shipped 35,000 tons of humanitarian aid to North Korea in keeping with the World Food Program", Sergei Lavrov said.

The forthcoming visit will focus on the problems of the Korean peninsula, such as the nuclear settlement in the context of the six-nation talks, he said.

"The goals of the settlement are well-known: we want the six-nation talks to lead to agreement on the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula in combination with the granting of reliable security guarantees and economic aid to North Korea", Sergei Lavrov said.