"Our aim is to ensure its [Korean Peninsula's] non-nuclear status by arriving at an agreement that is acceptable to everyone. We want the security of all the countries in the region and, of course, that of the the Democratic People's Republic of Korea [North Korea], to be firmly ensured so that the legitimate interests of North Korea are respected by everyone, without exception," Lavrov said during a meeting with his North Korean counterpart Lee Yong Soo.
The foreign minister added that he highly appreciated the opportunity to exchange views with Lee Yong Soo on the sidelines of the ASEAN meeting.
"We have a lot of bilateral plans. We will, of course, discuss the issues of security in Northeast Asia, as well as the general situation on the Korean Peninsula," Lavrov stated.
He added that Russia-North Korea humanitarian ties will also be discussed.
ASEAN is a regional intergovernmental organization, bringing together ten countries in Southeast Asia — Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam — with the aim of accelerating economic, social and cultural development in the region.
Russia has been actively cooperating with ASEAN and participating in the organization's summits since 1990.
