Lavrov urges sides to take simultaneous steps towards each other to resolve N.Korea crisis

BEIJING, April 23. /TASS/. Russia sees positive developments in the situation on the Korean Peninsula and all sides should take steps synchronically towards each other, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said after talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Monday. "We discussed in detail the situation around the Korean Peninsula where positive developments have been seen over the past months. Both Russia and China believe that the developments are largely in line with the Russian-Chinese roadmap," Lavrov noted. "We believe it is necessary that all the parties concerned should take simultaneous steps towards each other, without any provocative actions. We agreed to contribute to this development of events in every possible way," Russia’s top diplomat stressed. In early 2018, tensions on the Korean Peninsula eased amid the Olympic Games in South Korea’s PyeongChang, and there was also a thaw in relations between Seoul and Pyeongyang. Later, the sides agreed to hold a high-level meeting between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. After that US President Donald Trump is expected to meet with the North Korean leader. Kim Jong Un announced on April 21 that Pyongyang was halting nuclear tests and joining the global nuclear disarmament process in line with its new strategy to build socialist economy. North Korea announced its withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in 1993 and completed the withdrawal in January 2003. To date, the Communist state has held six nuclear tests. Last September, Pyongyang announced a successful test of a hydrogen bomb and proclaimed itself a nuclear power. Read more