Russia, S. Korea call for nuclear-free Korean Peninsula

Asian Political News, Sept 27, 2004

MOSCOW, Sept. 21 Kyodo

Russian President Vladimir Putin and South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun issued a joint declaration Tuesday highlighting their commitments to continuing the six-nation talks on North Korea's nuclear ambitions and seeking a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula.

The declaration, adopted at their summit in Moscow, comprises agreements in 12 areas, including cooperation on terrorism, nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction, space, energy and railways.

The two leaders agreed on the need to maintain the dialogue framework of the six nations, also including China, Japan and the United States, and called on North Korea to agree to hold the fourth round as soon as possible.

Roh told a joint press conference after the summit that he supports Russia's ''constructive role'' in the six-nation talks, while Putin said he backs the continuation of the multinational talks and a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula.

The six nations held the third round in August in Beijing and agreed to hold the next round by the end of September. But North Korea has refused to take part until full details of South Korea's nuclear experiments come to light.

Earlier this week, South Korea said its scientists, on their own initiative, extracted a minute amount of plutonium in 1982 and conducted an experiment to enrich uranium in 2000.

Roh is making his first visit to Russia, although he held talks with Putin last October in Bangkok on the sidelines of an international meeting. He will return to Seoul on Thursday.