Moon moots “trilateral economic co-operation” between North, South Korea and Russia

SEOUL – South Korean President Moon Jae-in has held two rounds of talks with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, during a State visit to Russia, culminating in release of a joint statement of 32 ‘concrete’ clauses, focussing on “co-prosperity of the Korean Peninsula and Eurasia”. Moon said in a subsequent press conference that he and Putin “have agreed to increase our dialogue and co-operation for the goal of making it happen for the Peninsula and the Eurasian region as a whole, to enjoy peace and prosperity”.

Moon stressed the need for “trilateral economic co-operation among South Korea, North Korea and Russia”. To facilitate this, he said, the two leaders had agreed that Korea and Russia would first launch joint research into railways, and electricity and gas grids. 

The two Presidents had agreed that the materialisation of such large-scale infrastructure projects across the Korean Peninsula would lead to peace and prosperity not only in the region, but across Northeast Asia, too.

They vowed to continue technology and manpower exchanges, as well as joint research, to connect the Khasan-Naseon railway line down to Korea and to connect the Trans-Siberian Railway (TSR) and the Trans-Korean Railway (TKR) networks.

As the first Korean Head of State to address the State Duma in Russia, Moon praised Korea-Russia co-operation, describing it as the "cornerstone of peace on the Korean Peninsula and prosperity across Northeast Asia.” 

“I hope that South and North Korea will be able to join in developing the new potential of Eurasia and achieve mutual prosperity for the region,” he said. 
“Our two countries have mapped out concrete plans to strengthen cooperation on the development of Eurasia and to achieve US$30 billion in trade between each other and one million people-to-people exchanges per year by 2020." 

To expand Seoul-Moscow co-operation, Moon highlighted three future channels for growth: expand future-oriented engines of economic growth, seek economic development and co-operation in the Russian Far East, and strengthen the foundation for promoting exchanges that would enhance the welfare of both peoples.
To expand future-oriented engines of economic growth, Korea and Russia would jointly build a Korea-Russia Innovation Centre in Korea and a Korea-Russia Science & Technology Cooperation Centre in Moscow. 
Moon praised the latest developments in the region, saying that “a great historic transformation is now under way”.
“Now, the two Koreas and the U.S. are leaving the dark days of war and hostility behind and moving toward an era of peace and co-He added: operation,” he said.
He added: “The active support and co”-operation of the Russian Government and people has become a huge force behind this amazing transformation.” 
“When an environment of peace is established on the Korean Peninsula, inter-Korean economic co-operation will begin in earnest and will be expanded to three-party co-operation among the two Koreas and Russia.”  
Mentioning railway networks as one of the promising sectors for tripartite cooperation, Moon dubbed the Siberian railway a path “that connects the East and the West in the middle of Eurasia. It is the very gateway that opens an era of Eurasia”.
Moon concluded his speech by expressing hope for his concept of Eurasia. "There lies a new hope for humanity in Eurasia where nature and people co-exist. Russia and Korea will walk together toward an era of peace and prosperity, moving beyond an era of war,” he said.  www.koreanet.kr (ATI).