PRESS RELEASE

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U.S. Welcomes Russian-North Korean Contacts To Help Persuade Pyongyang

Sept. 29, 2017 (EIRNS)—Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova announced that Russia’s special envoy for dealing with the Korea crisis, Oleg Burmistrov, will consult with the head of the North Korean Foreign Ministry’s U.S. relations department Cho Song-hu in Moscow on Friday. "There will be an exchange of opinion regarding the situation on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia," Zakharova said, as TASS reported.

U.S. Department of State spokesperson Heather Nauert responded that the United States would welcome such a move.

"I can’t see that as a bad thing. Diplomacy is our preferred approach. If Russia can be successful in getting North Korea to move in a better direction, we would certainly welcome that."

She also mentioned that U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Policy Joe Yun had visited Moscow about two weeks ago.