G20 Summit Park, Putin avoids mentioning THAAD
President Park Geun-hye and Russian President Vladimir Putin hold talks in Vladivostok, Saturday. / Joint press corps
By Kang Seung-woo
VLADIVOSTOK ― The leaders of South Korea and Russia reaffirmed their stances against North Korea’s nuclear program and agreed to strengthen dialogue during talks, held in Vladivostok, Saturday.
President Park Geun-hye and Russian President Vladimir Putin also had discussions about South Korea’s plan to allow a U.S. anti-missile shield on its soil “in a cordial mood,” according to Cheong Wa Dae officials. The leaders, however, did not mention the thorny issue during a joint press conference after the talks, which appeared to mean that they did not want bilateral relations to be affected by the dispute over the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system.
“In order to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue as well as other items, we agreed to further enhance our strategic dialogue,” Park said during a joint press conference following her fourth summit with Putin.
“The summit confirmed that South Korea and Russia are partners in handling the North Korean nuclear issue and other matters.”
Putin also said, “We had in-depth discussions about the current situation on the Korean Peninsula and reached an agreement that the two nations do not accept the self-proclaimed nuclear status of Pyongyang.”
Speaking at the EEF, Putin urged North Korea to stop repeated military provocations and to adhere to United Nations resolutions that were imposed in March for its nuclear test in January and a long-range rocket launch the following month.
“Ahead of the bilateral talks, there were concerns over Russia’s possible lukewarm stance on international sanctions on the North due to South Korea’s plan to host a THAAD battery on the peninsula, but the summit confirmed that Moscow will not renege on the punishment, which was a great achievement,” said Park Won-gon, a professor at Handong Global University.
Putin gave Park a surprise gift _ a work of calligraphy written in Chinese by Park’s father, the late former President Park Chung-hee in 1979.
Putin handed over the piece to Park, expressing his appreciation for a New Year's gift that Park gave to his daughter earlier this year. Putin bought the calligraphy piece from an art market, Cheong Wa Dae said.
The piece, which means “With strong teamwork, let’s move forward together,” carries Park’s New Year’s wish for 1979.
Russia and China have strongly opposed the THAAD deployment, claiming its presence would hurt their security interests. In response, South Korea has stressed that it is not targeting any third countries.
“The two heads of state exchanged constructive opinions about THAAD and other issues on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia in a cordial mood,” the presidential office said.
However, Park and Putin indicated that they each still retain their initial stance.
“The nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula should be resolved within the overall military and political detente in Northeast Asia,” Putin said, stressing the need for relevant countries to defuse military tension.
Park responded, saying, “A responsible government cannot help but craft a way to safeguard the safety of the nation and the lives of its people.”
Economically, the leaders also agreed to seek a free trade agreement (FTA) between South Korea and the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), comprised of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia.
The two sides have conducted a joint feasibility study of their free trade pact over the past nine months and plan to begin negotiations for an FTA next month.
The EAEU, launched in January 2015, is a customs union. It has a combined population of 180 million with its gross domestic product reaching $1.6 trillion.
In addition, South Korea and Russia signed 24 memoranda of understanding that will expand the scope of bilateral economic cooperation into more diverse fields in the Far East, including fisheries, agriculture, infrastructure, healthcare and medical services, according to the presidential office.