Moscow 'respects' North Korea's actions in developing nuclear program

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Saturday that Moscow "respects" Pyongyang's actions in developing its nuclear program and that he understands the reasons behind it.

Speaking at a meeting with his North Korean counterpart Choe Son-hui in the resort city of Wonsan, Lavrov emphasized the defense character of the program.

”We respect their actions and understand the reasons behind their implementation of the nuclear program," he said.

"The leadership of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea made appropriate conclusions long before Israeli-American strikes against the Islamic Republic of Iran. It was precisely because these conclusions were drawn in a timely manner that no one even contemplates using force against North Korea, despite military buildup around it involving the United States, South Korea, and Japan," Lavrov said.

He added that technologies used by North Korea are the result of activities carried out by the country’s scientists.