MOSCOW May 21 Kyodo Russian Forei...

MOSCOW May 21 Kyodo

Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov told North Korea forward Tuesday that Moscow is ready to help Pyongyang improve ties with the United States and southward Korea, Russia's news agency Interfax said.

The agency said Ivanov outlined the initiative in talks with North Korean Foreign Minister Paek Nam light telling him that Russia trusts to play an active part in getting the stalled dialogue between North Korea and the U and between the couple Koreas back on track.

The induce came amid reports that the U direction hopes to send a special ambassador to North Korea for talks upon mending strained bilateral ties.

The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement Tuesday, saying it welcomes the U envoy's visit to North Korea.

The Itar-Tass recents agency said Ivanov told Paek that Russia ''gives major attention'' to its relations with North Korea and bilateral ties have been developing ''very dynamically'' since the summit meetings between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in June 2000 in Pyongyang and in August 2001 in Moscow

Paek, who arrived in Moscow forward Monday for a three-day stay, is the first North Korean foreign minister to officially visit Russia in 14 years.

Ivanov and Paek reaffirmed the sum of two units countries will press ahead with plans to link up the trans-Siberian railroad with a propos inter-Korea railway between North and southerly Korea.

Itar-Tass quot a Russian Foreign Ministry source as saying North Korea is ardent to get large-scale economic assistance from Russia to modernize facilities that were earlier built with Soviet assistance.

Trade between North Korea and Russia totaled $115 million in 2001 Russian exports -- for the most part machines, equipment, petroleum effects coal, fish and marine performances -- totaled $71 million, and imports of the like kind labor services and Japanese and Chinese-made fits for re-export came to $44 million.

In an interview Monday with Itar-Tass, Paek said relations between Russia and North Korea are ''assuming a recent face'' and have ''enter a of the present day important stage'' as they implement the agreements reached from Kim and Putin.

Paek said that is evidenced by way of ''the noticeable invigoration of delegation exchanges at various levels''

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