Archives

SEOUL, July 16 (AFP) - Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov will visit rivals North and South Korea this month amid tension over a recent deadly gunbattle in disputed Korean waters, officials said Tuesday.

Ivanov is due to visit Seoul from July 26-28 before heading to Pyongyang, according to foreign ministry officials in Seoul. The North's state Korean Central News Agency also said on Tuesday Ivanov "will soon visit the DPRK (North Korea) at the invitation of its government," without disclosing details on his planned visit.

"What I can confirm is that Ivanov is scheduled to visit Seoul and then Pyongyang," a foreign ministry official told AFP in Seoul.

"While in Seoul, he would be listening to our stance on the deadlocked Korean relations following the naval clash in the West Sea."

Ivanov is to hold talks with Foreign Minister Choi Sung-Hong and meet President Kim Dae-Jung during his three-day stay, he said. The South has demanded the North apologize, punish those responsible and come out for talks to discuss ways to prevent the recurrence of the June 29 maritime battle that sank a South Korean navy boat.

But the North has rejected the South's offers. The inter-Korean clash left at least four South Korean sailors dead and an estimated 30 dead or wounded on the North Korean side. South Korea has sought help from Russia to improve inter-Korean ties since the Seoul-Moscow diplomatic normalization in 1990. 

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager