North Korea nuclear issue ‘brooks no delay’, says Russian envoy

PYONGYANG, February 12. /TASS/. Long-running nuclear tension on the Korean Peninsula remains "one of the world’s most acute pain-points in modern times", Russian ambassador to North Korea Alexander Matsegora said on Thursday. Solving this problem "brooks no delay", Matsegora said, adding that "further procrastination" would only worsen the situation. Intensive bilateral and trilateral consultations involving the United States, South Korea and Japan were currently underway, the diplomat said. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov, leading Russia’s delegation at six-party talks aimed to settle the North Korean nuclear weapons issue, had also discussed the issue with counterparts from China, South Korea and Japan, he noted. The Russian side, chairing the Northeast Asia Peace and Security Working Group established in Beijing, "advances major initiatives aimed to unfreeze the negotiations", Matsegora said. "It is hoped that these efforts will not be in vain," the envoy added. Read more