Back from the DPRK a few days ago, Mironov had a meeting with its leader Kim Jong-il. Now, he is meeting with the leader of South Korea.
"The North Korean leadership did not speak of a pause in the talks and is still not providing a clear-cut answer", Mironov said. He does not think that the DPRK links the talks to the outcome of the November presidential election in the United States, as many observers believe.
Russia, DPRK, the United States, China, South Korea and Japan are participants in the talks, begun in August 2003, on ways to end Pyongyang's nuclear programme.
"All of them, including Russia, would prefer fulfilment of the earlier agreements and the fourth round of talks to be held in September. We have not got a clear answer from the North Korean leaders. Kim Jong-il was avoiding the question", Mironov said.
He gave support to the idea of paying a monetary compensation to the DPRK for freezing its nuclear programme under the IAEA control and called it "a very good platform for the talks".
Mironov said that South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun "is grateful to Russia for supporting the reunification of the Koreas and creating a nuclear-free zone" on the Korean Peninsula.
In February 2003 Sergei Mironov was an official guest on Russia's behalf in the inauguration ceremony of Roh Moo-hyun in Seoul.
