N. Korea needed to join implementation of initiative of '9 bridges' of S. Korea-Russia cooperation - former S. Korean ambassador to Russia
SEOUL. July 11 (Interfax) - North Korea is needed to be actively involved in the discussion and implementation of the plan of building "nine bridges" of cooperation between Russia and South Korea, Li Gyu Hyen, the chair of the Russia - the Republic of Korea Dialogue coordination council and the former South Korean ambassador to Russia, told Russian reporters on Wednesday.
"Surely, it is needed to be done in the future," he said.
"For building a gas pipeline and electricity-transmission lines it is necessary to come across the territory of North Korea, but the Republic of Korea and Russia are solidly preparing to this project.
I believe that the young North Korean leader holds another position and is pursuing a different policy as compared with a previous one, this is why, I want this to have a good impact on the cooperation between the two Koreas and Russia," he said.
"Currently, given the changing situation surrounding the Korean Peninsula, we need to take efforts to realize precisely trilateral cooperation," Li Gyu Hyen said.
Russia and South Korea are now staking on joint highly technological projects, he said. At the same time, the two countries' leaders identified the "nine bridges" of cooperation as priority trends.
These are such trends of cooperation as gas, railways, the Northern Sea Route, shipbuilding, fisheries, agriculture, medicine, science, technology, and labor migration with creating new jobs.