Russia & DPRK-neighbours whose cooperation strategically important.

24/11 Tass 225

PYONGYANG, November 24 (Itar-Tass) - Russia and the DPRK are
neighbours whose cooperation is strategically important for both
countries. This opinion was expressed by speaker of the Russian Federation
Council upper chamber Sergei Mironov and head of the North Korean Supreme
People's Assembly Choe Thae Bok at the Tuesday meeting.

"Russia is our friendly neighbour," said chairman of the North Korean
parliament, stressing that "President Dmitry Medvedev and great leader Kim
Jong-Il exchanged congratulatory telegrams", which points, in his opinion,
to good relations.
Speaking in an interview with reporters, Mironov called the meeting as
"trustworthy and frank". "We should make trips in order to exchange
frankly opinions and to discuss prospects for our relations," he said. The
Federation Council speaker noted that this is his second visit to
Pyongyang and added that it is "very pleasant for me to be here again".
Choe Thae Bok stated that the North Korean parliament set up a group
for cooperation with the Russian legislature, numbering 10. "We have a
group on cooperation with North East Asia, but I believe there is sense in
taking the same way by establishing a similar group with North Korean
legislators," Mironov responded.
The negotiators discussed plans for further work, taking into account
anniversary dates next year: the 65th anniversary since the end of World
War II, including that in the Far East, the 65th anniversary of Korea's
liberation from the Japanese colonial sway and the tenth anniversary of
signing the Treaty of Friendship, Good-Neighbourly Relations and
Cooperation between Russia and the DPRK.
"We agreed that we shall mark jointly these dates and exchange
delegations," Mironov said, adding that he invited his colleague to visit
Russia.
The sides gave special attention to perking up trade and economic
relations. "They should be better, but now they are at variance with the
potential and are legging behind political relations," Mironov underlined.
His North Korean counterpart shares this opinion. Already small trade
between the two countries has nearly halved over the past nine months.
Pyongyang is preparing for the fifth meeting of the intergovernmental
commission on economic, scientific and technical cooperation. Its task is
to draft specific projects, including reconstruction of the 54-kilomtre
section of the railway in the north of the Korean Peninsula.
-0-bur/gor