Russia still wants to woo North Korea

MOSCOW, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- Russia is determined to strengthen its ties with North Korea despite the reclusive Asian dictatorship's illegal nuclear program.

"Our goal is to develop and deepen these (Russian-North Korean) relations, despite the current situation," Valery Sukhinin, Russia's newly appointed ambassador to North Korea, said Friday according to a report carried by the RIA Novosti news agency.

RIA Novosti described Sukhinin as an expert on North Korea who had already spent 17 years there, including time studying at Pyongyang University.

According to the agency, Sukhinin said Russia and North Korea had historically been friends. He said "the resolution of the Korean Peninsula's nuclear crisis remains a common task for all participants of the six-party talks, which comprise Russia, China, Japan, the two Koreas and the United States."

In September 2005, North Korea agreed to scrap its nuclear program in return for international aid and security guarantees. However, it has continued to develop ballistic missiles and in October carried out its first underground nuclear test.

"We believe that this problem should be resolved on the basis of the September 2005 joint statement, and we are focusing our efforts in that direction," Sukhinin said.

RIA Novosti said Sukhinin intends to start his tour as ambassador in January.

Sukhinin believes that economic relations between Russia and North Korea should be improved once North Korea pays back to Russia the $8 billion debt it borrowed from the former Soviet Union, the Russian news agency said.