S.Korea, Russia agree to coordinate measures on DPRK

South Korea and Russia have agreed to closely coordinate measures on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) under the resolution of the UN Security Council, the South Korean Presidential Office said Tuesday.

The agreement came after a meeting between South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov, who arrived here earlier Tuesday for a two-day visit.

"Roh and Fradkov agreed on the need to cope with the North (DPRK)'s nuclear problems through a mixture of dialogue and sanctions, like the ones imposed by the UN Security Council," said Yoon Tae-young, spokesman for the Presidential Office.

"For that purpose, they also agreed on the importance of an internationally coordinated response," Yoon added.

Roh and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin talked by telephone on Monday evening and agreed to solve the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue.

The DPRK announced on Oct. 9 that it has conducted a successful underground nuclear test.

The U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution last Saturday, condemning the nuclear test, demanding that the DPRK eliminate its nuclear weapons and nuclear programs, and imposing sanctions on the DPRK in spheres related to its nuclear, ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction.

Source: Xinhua