Speaking at a gala reception held in his honour by Mr Kim, Mr Putin said that over the past ten years Russia and South Korea had built basic relations between their countries almost from scratch. Mr Putin stressed that the legal foundation had been laid for a mutually beneficial partnership and outlined the most promising areas of bilateral cooperation. The Russian President expressed his conviction that Russian-South Korean relations had a bright future that would benefit both peoples.
Mr Putin praised the progress that had been made in settling the Korean conflict. He said that Russia would do everything in its power to help achieve stability and a peaceful reunification of North and South Korea for the sake of the entire Korean people.
See also
State Visit to the Republic of Korea
February 27 − 28, 2001