S. Korea, Russia agree on closer cooperation on N. Korea`s nuclear program; official

SEOUL, Oct. 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korea said Saturday it has agreed with Russia to
closely cooperate to try to persuade North Korea to end its nuclear weapons
program.
The agreement was reached at a meeting on Tuesday in Moscow between South Korea's
Deputy Foreign Minister Lee Yong-joon and Aleksei Borodavkin, Russia's top
negotiator on the six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear program, officials at
the South's Foreign Ministry said.
"The two sides have agreed to strengthen a high-level consultation channel," a
ministry official said, explaining about the Moscow meeting.
North Korea quit the six-party nuclear disarmament talks in April in protest of
the United Nations sanctions against its long-range rocket launch. The talks
involve South Korea, the United States, China, Russia and Japan.
In May, the North conducted its second nuclear test, drawing stronger
condemnations from the international community, including its closest ally,
China.
However, North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, during talks with a visiting Chinese
envoy in Pyongyang early last month, said his regime is willing to resolve the
nuclear standoff through "bilateral or multilateral negotiations."
The issue is expected to be discussed again when China's Prime Minister Wen
Jiabao makes a trip to North Korea beginning on Sunday. China, the host nation of
the six-party talks, is North Korea's top source of economic support.
Wen's trip to North Korea comes ahead of his scheduled annual trilateral meeting
with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and Japanese Prime Minister Yukio
Hatoyama in Beijing on Oct. 10.
(END)