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Top diplomats of S. Korea, Russia hold phone talks on bilateral cooperation

February 12, 2021

New Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, held phone talks Friday to discuss peace efforts on the Korean Peninsula, responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and other issues, the foreign ministry said.

Their first talks since Chung’s inauguration earlier this week came as Seoul seeks to ensure international cooperation in resuming dialogue with North Korea and advancing its stalled agenda for lasting peace on the peninsula.

The two sides reaffirmed their will to continue cooperation for progress in Seoul’s peace initiative, and agreed to push for high-level exchanges this year, the ministry said.

“The two ministers affirmed South Korea and Russia as key partners for peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and in Eurasia,” the ministry said in a press release.

They also agreed to work together to develop Seoul’s initiative for Northeast Asian cooperation on infectious disease control and public health.

Earlier in the day, Chung also held his first phone talks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. They stressed close cooperation for the complete denuclearization of the peninsula.

This photo, taken on Feb. 9, 2021, shows Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong attending a Cabinet meeting at the central government complex in Seoul. (Yonhap)