Russia drafts roadmap on North Korean denuclearisation

Russia has drafted and is ready to discuss with its partners a roadmap on North Korean denuclearisation and overall peace on the Korean Peninsula, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov told Sputnik.

Security guarantees should be provided to North Korea in order for it to abandon its nuclear programme, Morgulov stated.

Russia's roadmap on the settlement of the North Korean dispute includes a phased plan to bring the parties toward dialogue without preconditions, Morgulov said.

He listed as first steps "manifestations of mutual restraint, not provoking each other, initiating negotiations on the general principles of relations such as non-aggression, rejection of the use and threat of force."

"We have developed and are ready to discuss with partners a set of practical measures, a sort of 'road map,' the ultimate goal of which is the formation of a lasting peace mechanism in Northeast Asia while addressing the issues of the peninsula, including its denuclearization," Morgulov said.

Russia coordinates its road map on the settlement of the North Korean issue with China, the Deputy Foreign Minister added.

"[Moscow acts] in coordination with Chinese partners who are concerned about what is happening on the Korean Peninsula," Morgulov said.