Sanctions against North Korea will not affect implementation of Khasan - Rajin project - minister

SOCHI, October 17. /TASS/. Introduction of sanctions against North Korea will not affect implementation of Khasan - Rajin railway project, Russian Minister for Far East Development Alexander Galushka told reporters on Tuesday. The railway renovation project from Russia’s Khasan to Rajin port in North Korea was implemented in 2008-2014 by a joint venture between Russian Railways and North Korea. South Korea was intended to be the third party in the project but Seoul is still negotiating its participation in the project, the minister said. "Khasan-Rajin" is implemented. It is provided that its implementation will continue under sanctions. The cargo base reached 2 mln tonnes, quite a lot," Galushka said. Russia will continue international projects with North Korea initiated earlier but no new ones will started, the minister said. Russian businessmen visiting the DPRK in 2014-2015 saw a range of promising niches for cooperation but it is premature to speak about future projects in conditions of sanctions, Galushka added. "Sanctions effective at present obviously prevent real pragmatic intentions Russian businessmen had. Therefore it is highly important to solve the rocket and nuclear problem of the Korean peninsula and we reasonably understand that we will have grounds for almost skyrocketing growth of trade=economic and investment cooperation in such case," Galushka said. It was reported earlier at least 2.4 mln tonnes of goods, mainly coal, could be carried along Khasan - Rajin railway in 2017. Read more