President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr President, friends, colleagues,
We are very glad to welcome you to Moscow.
The Republic of Korea is one of our priority partners in Asia with the second-largest bilateral trade. We have seen a very positive tendency recently. Our trade increased significantly over the previous year and continues to grow this year. The figure is rather impressive in absolute numbers although, of course, it could be better (I think we will discuss this). Our trade is worth $20 billion.
Mr President, you know that Russia has always supported settlement of the situation on the Korean Peninsula. We have always contributed to this process and intend to further do everything in our power to resolve any disputes. I am certain we will also discuss this today during talks.
Welcome.
President of the Republic of Korea Moon Jae-in (retranslated): Mr President,
After I visited Vladivostok in September 2017, I especially value the opportunity to make a state visit to Russia for the first time in 19 years since the last state visit by a Korean president. I would like to express my deep gratitude to President Putin for his kind invitation.
I know that today is the Day of Memory and Sorrow for those who fell in the Great Patriotic War, which began 77 years ago today. I would like to express our condolences to the memory of the fallen on behalf of the Korean people.
I would also like to use this occasion to congratulate you on the success of the football championship and on the fact that the Russian national team, which has won two matches in a row, was the first to qualify for the last 16 of the World Cup.
As a president, and having read Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky, I fell in love with Russia and dreamed of visiting this country. This explains my complex feelings about being in Moscow.
I believe that Korea and Russia are the key cooperation partners on the Korean Peninsula and the Eurasian continent. We have opted for strategic partnership with Russia and we are promoting its development as a major element of our foreign and national security policies, because the policies pursued in Korea and by President Putin are very similar. We have the New Northern Policy, while Russia has adopted a development policy for the Russian Far East, where we have common interests. This is why our cooperation in these spheres promises to be successful.
Mr President and I have a common goal: to denuclearise North Korea and to establish a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. We are working closely together towards these goals.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to President Putin and the Russian Government for the active support they are providing to South Korea’s position in the course of a political settlement of the situation around the Korean Peninsula, including the successful inter-Korean summit, the meeting of the leaders of North Korea and the United States, and other steps.
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