Russian president makes first visit to North Korea

Before flying to North Korea, Putin laid a wreath at the Cenotaph Monument of the People's Heroes at Tiananmen Square in Beijing

Putin expected to discuss missile defense system, economic ties

July 19, 2000
Web posted at: 6:26 p.m. HKT (1026 GMT)

In this story: Putin, Jiang oppose NMD Return of a friend RELATED STORIES, SITES

From staff and wire reports

PYONGYANG, North Korea -- In an effort to renew strained relations, Russian President Vladimir Putin began on Wednesday the first visit by a Russian leader to North Korea.

Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il were scheduled to hold two rounds of talks expected to focus on North Korea's missile capability, and enhancing economic cooperation.

Putin, on a two-day state visit, was likely to discuss the U.S.-proposed national missile defense system, or NMD, with Kim. Putin was expected to try to convince the North Korean leader that a secure Korea could help Russia in its opposition to the missile defense system.

VIDEO CNN's Rebecca MacKinnon has Russia's and China's public and private statements about the U.S. national missile defense plan QuickTime Play Real 28K 80K Windows Media 28K 80K     MESSAGE BOARD Changes in Russia

"If Putin can persuade North Korea to make gestures or express in any form its intentions to stop or not to pursue further missile developments, that would greatly strengthen his voice at the G-8 meeting," said Chon Hong-san, a political science professor at Pusan University.

Putin, Jiang oppose NMD

In Beijing this week, Putin and Chinese President Jiang Zemin denounced the proposed NMD. They signed a declaration calling on the international community to implement all necessary measures to oppose the NMD. It was Putin's first state visit to China.

The 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty would have to be amended before the United States could implement the system, and Russia has opposed reopening the treaty.

Jiang and Putin said NMD would give the United States "unilateral superiority in military and security matters ... (and) upset the world's strategic balance."

U.S. officials, meanwhile, have tried to alleviate such concerns. They have said NMD was being designed to protect the United States against possible missile attacks by rogue nations. The officials have cited in particular North Korea, Iran and Iraq -- countries that have begun acquiring nuclear and missile technology.

North Korea is believed to have missiles capable of reaching Hawaii and Alaska. CIA reports show that North Korea has the potential to develop longer-range missiles that can reach the U.S. continent.

"Putin will do all he can do to persuade North Korea, because it considers the U.S. ... system a direct threat to its security," Chon said.

Return of an ally

Also on Putin's agenda is rebuilding economic ties with North Korea, many of whose major industrial plants were built with Soviet technology. Most of those plants are reportedly outdated and need renovation.

Putin is escorted by a military police officer during a tour of Beijing's Forbidden City on Wednesday

Putin is expected to offer to refurbish those idle plants with Russian experts and technology if South Korea -- which agreed during a recent landmark summit to improve economic relations with the North -- provides financing.

Putin's visit marks a return to an old ally that had been neglected for nearly a decade. The former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, or USSR, had supported communist North Korea, but relations soured in the early 1990s after Moscow recognized South Korea. Russia ended a defense agreement with the North in 1995.

No Soviet or Russian leaders before Putin had visited North Korea, compared to six summit meetings so far between Russia and South Korea.

In post-Soviet times, Russia, with its own economic problems, has virtually neglected impoverished North Korea. Trade, which once exceeded $1 billion, stood at a mere $50 million in 1999, compared with $2.2 billion in bilateral trade between Seoul and Moscow that year, South Korean officials said.

"Due to economic reforms in the (former) USSR, and later in Russia, in particular ... at the beginning of the 1990s, our trade and economic cooperation with North Korea ... has been seriously reduced," Russian Trade Ministry officials said.

Russian diplomats, however, have said it won't be easy for Putin to recover lost influence over North Korea.

"We don't have any levers," said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov. "What we have is contacts."

CNN Correspondent Steve Harrigan, CNN Beijing Bureau Chief Rebecca MacKinnon, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Putin leaves for China, North Korea and Japan
July 17, 2000
Russian defense row calmed after Putin talks
July 16, 2000
Putin aims to reassert Russia's global role at Group of 8 summit
July 15, 2000
y: Actions to reveal more about Putin than images
May 2000

Russian Government
Vladimir Putin
Office of the President of the Republic of China
National Assembly of China

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.