The message from the two-day Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) conference, which concluded in Vladivostok on Thursday, is that Russia’s “pivot to Asia” in recent years, in the downstream of Western sanctions against it, has become a core vector of its foreign policies.
The EEF began modestly in 2015 with the agenda of showcasing the “new reality” of a role for the Russian Far East in the economic integration of the Asia-Pacific region. But this year’s EEF waded into the critical regional security issue of North Korea.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov revealed, inter alia, that a North Korean delegation would attend the EEF event. He said, “As I understand, the DPRK’s delegation to the EEF consists of representatives of the economic bloc. We (Russia) also have representatives of our economic ministries and departments here. So I think, meetings within the profile structures of the two countries will take place.”
This comes at a time when administration of US President Donald Trump is stepping up its rhetoric and demanding more sanctions against North Korea. Curiously, South Korean President Moon Jae-In also attended the EEF conference, taking time off to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok on Wednesday.
Moon may well be quietly admiring of Putin for saying things upfront about North Korea which he is unable to do himself. When talking to the media in Xiamen on Tuesday following the BRICS summit, Putin had done some plain speaking regarding North Korea. Notably, he said:
“Everyone remembers well what happened to Iraq and Saddam Hussein. Hussein abandoned the production of weapons of mass destruction. Nonetheless… Saddam Hussein himself and his family were killed… Even children died back then. His grandson, I believe, was shot to death. The country was destroyed… North Koreans are also aware of it and remember it. Do you think that following the adoption of some sanctions, North Korea will abandon its course on creating weapons of mass destruction? “Certainly, the North Koreans will not forget it. Sanctions of any kind are useless and ineffective in this case. As I said to one of my colleagues yesterday, they will eat grass, but they will not abandon this program unless they feel safe.”
After meeting Moon, Putin again urged that dialogue is the only way out of the crisis. Putin is well aware that Moon has a pivotal role in preventing US President Donald Trump from taking military risks, and he cannot be unaware that some fractures have appeared lately in the US-South Korea alliance. Significantly, Moon said at his press conference with Putin on Wednesday:
“Mr. President and I have also agreed to build up the basis for the implementation of trilateral projects with participation of the two Koreas and Russia, which will connect the Korean Peninsula and the Russian Far East… We have decided to give priority to the projects that can be implemented in the near future, primarily in the Far East. The development of the Far East will promote the prosperity of our two countries and will also help change North Korea and create the basis for the implementation of the trilateral agreements. We will be working hard on this.”
To jog memories, Moscow has, in the past, mooted certain infrastructural projects involving North Korea that might hold the potential to stabilize the region: an extension of the Trans-Siberian railway system into South Korea via North Korea; a gas pipeline connecting South and North Korea with the vast Russian oil and gas fields in the Far East; and transmission lines to take surplus electricity from the Russian Far East to the Korean Peninsula.
South Korean companies are involved in Sakhalin-1 and Sakhalin-2 energy projects and are currently discussing with Russia the delivery of liquefied natural gas. South Korean shipyards are hoping to build 15 tankers to transport gas from the Yamal LNG plant in the Russian Far East.
Putin stated at the press conference with Moon that “Russia is still willing to implement trilateral projects with the participation of North Korea.” He flagged the above three projects specifically and added, “The implementation of these initiatives will be not only economically beneficial, but will also help build up trust and stability on the Korean Peninsula.”
The big question is whether there was some form of contact between the delegations of North and South Korea on the sidelines of the EEF conference in Vladivostok. Russia, the host country, is uniquely placed to play the role of facilitator.
At any rate, Moscow is willing to undertake a mediatory role between the two Koreas, which no other world capital today can perform. It can talk to Pyongyang to raise its comfort level and integrate North Korea in regional cooperation, while also easing South Korea’s existential angst. Moscow’s trump card is its privileged communication channels to Pyongyang and its common interests with Seoul (and Beijing, and Tokyo) in avoiding a catastrophic war.
In the given situation, Russian diplomacy becomes optimal. While bringing about peace, it also holds the potential to create wealth and shared prosperity, which provides the bedrock for regional stability and helps the development of the Russian Far East. Incidentally, Chinese Vice-Premier Wang Yang, the point person for China’s Belt and Road Initiative, also attended the EEF meet.
Putin arrived in Vladivostok from China where he held detailed discussions with President Xi Jinping on Monday regarding the situation on the Korean Peninsula. A high degree of Sino-Russian coordination on North Korea is already evident.
Any Russian peace initiative on North Korea will be a reflection on the failure of leadership in Washington. The Trump administration is unlikely to view such a scenario with equanimity, given its far-reaching implications for the US-led system of alliances in the Far East.
American political leaders are so dense, so stupid, they only know how to drive toward conflict and war, and to sell billions of dollars-worth of weapons. They are so stupid they don’t even see how their mentality is putting the whole world in grave peril of final destruction.
I believe Russia will veto the resolution which the USA is sponsoring at thé UNSC to sanction further NK. Then, Russia will increase its trade with NK and will replace China as the major trade partner of NK. Correspondingly, China will reduce its trade with NK. China will tell USA that it has reduced its trade with NK as USA would want China to do. In this way, USA cannot say that China is not doing anything to contain NK. This is the agreement between China and Russia. Working in tandem, they are making a fool of the USA.
The only real solution to the North Korean issue is peace and an end to sanctions. If trade brings prosperity to the north, they will have something to lose. Now they have nothing to lose. Opening to the world is the best chance for them to replace the monarchy with something more representative.
President Putin show great leadership in the Vladivostok meetings. To talk is the only solution to the crisis. Provocative war games and sanctions has only made North Korea. For Russia and China, it is of utmost importance to resolve this crisis peacefully a nuclear war would be devastating for the entire North Asia.
The US does not care about Korea, so he might pursue this venture even without the support of South Korea. The hawks in Washington is screaming for war, and this request is endorsed by Saudi Arabia and Israel, who is afraid of North Korean nuclear export to Iran. To solidify President Putin initiative to create peace in Korea; it would most certainly help if South Korea closed the US bases,
Yes, the Russians and Chinese are so peaceful. (their friends like Iran and North Korea are also peaceful, just more bellicose). The stupid Americans usually wait until the threats and abuse from other countries are so intolerable they have to react. But Trump seems to have been schooled by those that feel there never would have been a Hitler and WWll if Hitler had been thwarted before he became so strong he could not be without a world war.
Art Laramee, I am not sure I fully understand your meaning, but I am afraid I do… Anyway, what’s very good is that at this EEF gathering there were no Anglo/Jews – apparently and hopefully -.
Peace and progress is always better and democratic than war and chaos.
If China, Russia..et al make war, it’s for calculated reasons. The US on otherhand sits there in dazed stupor, and can only fill the confusion with more war profiteering and delurious spasms of ruinous militarism for unclear purposes.
Art Laramee LMAO. sorry if thats your world view and it PRVOES just what ANthony Rhodes said. Hitler? Hitler’s Germany is shaped as much by acts of England and other colonial powers as much as by himself, his extreme hate of Jews seems kinda mystery to me but the methods he employed took a leaf out of playbook of the US cleansing of Native Americans. . Imperial Japan was twice thwarted by China and Korea in their history of trying to take over asia mainland but only became a threat after western powers, US included, messed up China, asia in general and allowed Japan to wholesale copy their then advanced capital colonial and militarist systems, whch lead to their colonial expansion along with the slaughters that goes with it. Saddam Hussein? Well he was a darling sponsored by US when he was killing Iranians, until Kuwait, and based on information available he invaded Kuwait because US didnt respond to him about the dispute in an oil field? Modern day extremism Islam? Have roots in Western, US backed botched formation of Israel thats still surpressing Palestanians to this day and don’t even get me started on supporting Afghan Jihadists that bit back Big time. Iran is reactionary to US alliance with "peaceful" gulf monarchies and Israel, and NK was direct result of US and SV intervention of whats suppose to be internal Korean affairs after settlement of WWI when Koreans suppose to shake of colonial Japan (and Korean independece was actually initially brought up by China at yalta). Same with Vietnam because of SV and US each supporting their side that lead to division of a country and endless killings by US intervention. You see, as history of the events goes, US is right down there amongst stupid moronic dirt slingers that gets everyone dirty, and as most recent decades body count it is the bloodiest along being the stupidest, with election of Trump and this MANUFACTURED NK crisis, yes I say manufactured because US took the most obvious steps that have perfectly predictable effect that lead to whats happening right now –
there’s no light at end of tunnel for this one. Continue any longer and world really need to move away and move on from US.
Americans think they have the muscles to push North Korean to listen with the puppet stupid Australian to follow,well guess what?so wrongs,remember Vietnamese kick ur dump Americans ass and weirdo Aussie.dont forget
You said it all.
That was under a politically correct president. Trump has demonstrated he is not. In fact he is a fierce fighter, having taken on 17 established competitors in a party he had only casual connections with and trouncing all of them with no experience. At the same time he trounced a well established opposition party competitor and nearly the entire well established media. He is not to be underestimated.
Qian Deng Your understanding of world history suits your desire to trash the United States. But it is warped bullshit. The current United States has roots in the 1400’s. When adventurous explorers were busy discovering the world was round. The explorers found a rich land and brought people to it But their culture of exploitation and private property clashed with the culture of nomadic indians who didn’t practice private ownership, just who could take what by might. Since they clashed violently, someone had to subdue someone and the Indians lost. The isolationist United States was drawn into the World War ll and when Hitler was defeated, the USSR decided to conquer the world instead. I can clearly remember Nikita Kruschev taking off his shoe and banging the table and declaring to the United States we will bury you. By the way, at the end of WWll the despised United States declared a two-day-per-week fast, to free up foood to be distributed to the starving devastated countries of Europe, including the Germans and their allies. We also instituted the Marshalllan and many other intiiatives to help rebuild the ruins of WW ll. We did not take over any countries as Russia did and we agreed to defend those countries who asked us to. By now you migfht not realize it but the United States has helped many countries develop, including China, Taiwan, Japan and Korea. We have our good guys and our bad giys just like every country and that includes our hawks, just like other countries. But we have not conquered other countries like China has done to Tibet and is doing to Taiwan for example. And Trump is very definitely not interested in being the protector of all our allies the way we have been expected to be since WW ll. He wants our allies to be strong and protect themselves with our help if necessary. Trump would like an alliance with China and Russia if they could be trusted. He wants fair trade and to be left alone. He doesn’t care if everyone prospers as long as they are not trying to make the United States poor. There are thoise in the United States who don’t think the same way, but Trump will win out in the end. World peace is at hand if the rest of the world ewants to cooperate.
From the look of things North Korea will attack China very soon reasons been China wants more territory, China’s economic is growing at a very fast late, mark my words
Asian and western minds are two different things…having said that…if westerners want to punish asians (north korea)…they should do it the asian way …not the way they do it in the west…western punisment for westeners and asian punishment for asians…not following that concept would only cause more chaos and certainly will ignite burning hatreds on both sides…
I think it is perfectly logical for countries with common borders to trade and develop resources. Russian efforts for joint development of resources between itself, North and South Korea and possibly to include China and Japan are not only admirable but are of absolute necessity.
Art Laramee Good on Trump. But I doubt if he has much power. A Chinese federal judge from Hawaii can thwart any of his actions. And the mainstream media, very tribal in its aims, is dead set on removing him. As for the lawmakers, one wonders not just what goes in their mind but what went in originally. (One actually can’t tell Crimea from Korea (unspecified which one)
Still all this doesn’t stop America from threatening countries with sanctions . And now apparently wants to have sanctions against non-American firms and countries which trade with sanctioned countries. Not to mention flagging the old regine change with violencething.
It is time for Americans to realise that it is a multi-polar world, that actions beget reactions, that sanctions do not work (they just hurt the poorest individuals, not the state against which it is directed), that their country supports the worst dictators (Saudi, Bahrain, Azerbaijan..) , that they have created directly or indirectly Al Qaida, Daesh etc By all means guard your borders but let other countries be
Mojong Bandung They can make them cheaper
Franco DeCelis I actually agree with you on sanctions. Although our sanctions are intended to be an action that supports a point of view without going to war, they are really a way of appearing to do something while doing nothing and they save face of the politicians with their base. Given their stated purpose, there are few if any examples of where sanctions have deterred a country from the stated purpose of the sanctions. It would be more straightforward to just go to war. But that’s a scary alternative.
……and the final wave of destruction will play out on African Soil that is currently dotted with US military bases.
Great
Art Laramee Hitler was a European and like Trump a white supremesist. Asians won’t buy the American commercialization of war propaganda.
Art Laramee, the US president violated the constitution when he called forth a "Police action" on the Korean peninsula, ta stahp Gahdless Kamyunizm. Only congress has the authority to declare war and Truman violated that (be faithful in those things small and ye shall be faithful in those things large). The millions killed by that " POHlees action", makes us shudder at what the INDISPENSABLE nation is capable of. The USA doesn’t need to conquer and occupy a country (even though it HAS, Iraq, Panama and Grenada, Dominican Republic and Haiti) to squeeze it dry. YOU SIR have rose tinted blinders to the actual rapacious history of the greatest SHOW on OYTH!!!! You sir have swallowed the Kool aid and are ready for more servings. Enjoy!
Art Laramee your logic is very simple . bash and kill everybody, who could possibly become a new Hitler. It worked so well with Saddam Hussein, Gaddafi, and- and -and – so why should’nt it work so well with Putin – or Kim?