Peace prospect boosts hopes for growth

Moon strikes optimistic tone ahead of third meeting with Putin in Moscow

Seoul, Moscow and Pyongyang may join hands on a number of major projects involving infrastructure and energy if peace is in place in the region, said the Republic of Korea President Moon Jaein, who paid a visit to Moscow from Thursday to Saturday.

Moon made the remarks in an interview with Russia's TASS News Agency ahead of his state visit. The ROK's Yonhap News Agency said he is expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, marking the third meeting between the two leaders since Moon took office in 2017.

According to a Blue House statement, Moon and Putin are expected to discuss economic cooperation and the denuclearization and peace on the Korean Peninsula.

"We expect that the summit with President Putin will serve as a chance to further strengthen strategic communication and cooperation between the two countries as peace is developed on the Korean Peninsula," the Blue House said.

"Russia and South Korea (the ROK) have huge potential as far as economic, humanitarian and cultural exchanges go," Moon said in the TASS interview. "The potential has not been exhausted yet. We can involve North Korea (the DPRK) in cooperation after permanent peace is established in the region," he said.

Moon mentioned plans to connect the three countries' railway networks that would make it possible to deliver goods to Russia and Europe via the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"Once the Trans-Korean Main Line is built, it may be connected to the Trans-Siberian Railway. In this case, it will be possible to deliver goods from South Korea to Europe, which would be economically beneficial not only to South and North Korea but to Russia as well," Moon said.

Choo Suk-hoon, a professor at the Institute of Russian Studies at the Seoul-based Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, said by developing economic relations with Moscow, Seoul can not only build a favorable transportation, logistics and trade network in Eurasian region and gain a new impetus for its economic growth, but also promote the interconnectivity between the ROK, the DPRK and Russia. The construction framework will lay the foundation for the goal of realizing economic integration on the peninsula, Choo said.

Wang Junsheng, an associate researcher at Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the visit is also expected to help the two countries to establish peace in Northeast Asia amid positive developments in security conditions.

Wang said Russia has been making significant contributions in efforts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula while it has also played a significant role in persuading Pyongyang, considering its economic relationship with the DPRK. He noted that Moon may use the visit to Russia as an opportunity to launch a new round of diplomacy so as to keep the momentum of denuclearization of the peninsula.

Moon's Russia trip follows his two historic summits with the DPRK top leader Kim Jong-un and Kim's meeting with US President Donald Trump in Singapore.

On Saturday, the ROK president will head to Russia's southeastern city of Rostov-on-Don, where he will watch a FIFA World Cup match between his country and Mexico before he heads back to Seoul.

Xinhua and Reuters contributed to this story.

panmengqi@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 06/22/2018 page12)