Russia, S. Korea to meet on North
From CNN Moscow Bureau Chief Jill Dougherty
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North Korea had been demanding face-to-face talks with the U.S. over its nuclear program.
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MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- Russia and South Korea plan to hold bi-lateral discussions here later this week on upcoming six-way talks on North Korea's nuclear program, a South Korean Embassy spokesman has told CNN.
South Korea's Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kim Jae-sup, will meet with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov.
The August 13 meeting was previously scheduled as part of a broader visit to Russia, the spokesman told CNN, but with pending six-way talks, he said, "it is quite natural he will talk with his counterpart about North Korea."
Kim is in St. Petersburg, taking part in festivities for "Korea Week."
Meanwhile, Interfax news agency, quoting "diplomatic sources," reported that a North Korean Foreign Ministry envoy was expected to arrive this week in Moscow for separate talks with Losyukov.
The Russian diplomat is in Beijing, where he has been consulting with Chinese officials on the upcoming six-way talks. The Russian Foreign Ministry refused to comment on the report.
Interfax news agency quoted another diplomatic source as saying, "there are very active bi-lateral consultations under way between the participants in the upcoming negotiations ... the aim of these consultations is to prepare the ground so that the negotiations can begin successfully."
Russia, the source told Interfax, has already visited with high-ranking diplomats from the five other countries taking part in the talks -- the United States, Japan, China, North Korea and South Korea. These meetings will continue, he said, and Russian envoys will also travel to some of those countries.
"Consultations will continue right up to the very last minute," he said.
The six-way talks are expected to begin at the end of August in Beijing, but Interfax quotes a diplomatic source who said the talks could begin a bit later, possibly in early September.
In other developments, U.S., South Korean and Japanese officials are expected to meet in Washington this week to coordinate plans for the six-party talks. (U.S. lays ground for meet)
