Summary of Russia-North Korea "Moscow declaration"

The leaders of Russia and North Korea on Saturday signed a joint declaration on strategic stability and bilateral ties that reaffirmed both countries' opposition to US plans for a missile defence shield.

The statement contained a pledge from the isolated Stalinist regime in Pyongyang that its missile programme is purely peaceful as well as support for the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM) that bars the US missile defence project.

President Vladimir Putin, who used the reclusive leader's visit as a propaganda coup to show Russia's influence in the Korean peninsula, for his part offered the carrot of economic aid provided North Korea repays its Soviet-era debts.

The following are excerpts from the document, released by ITAR-TASS, signed by Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il during a ceremony in the Kremlin on Saturday.

On North Korea's missile programme:

"The Korean side assured that North Korea's missile programme has a peaceful nature and correspondingly, does not pose a threat to any country that respects North Korea's sovereignty."

Russia "welcomed this position of North Korea."

On the ABM treaty:

"Bearing in mind that the 1972 ABM treaty is a cornerstone of strategic stability and the basis for further reductions of strategic offensive weapons, the leaders of both countries expressed a determination in this new century to cooperate in all ways to strengthen international security."

On the situation in the divided Korean peninsula:

"The leaders of the two countries agree on supporting the Korean people's efforts aimed at finding an independent, peaceful solution to the problem of reuniting the country ... and that external interference is unacceptable."

Russia reaffirmed its "respect" for agreements reached between Pyongyang and Seoul and "assured that it is ready to "play a constructive and responsible role" to help achieve a settlement between the two Koreas.

Pyongyang said that the withdrawal of US troops in South Korea was a "pressing problem."

Moscow expressed its "understanding" of the North Korean position, stressing the need to ensure "peace and stability on the Korean peninsula using peaceful means."

On economic and military cooperation:

"The leaders of both countries agreed on concrete measures for the long-term development of bilateral cooperation in different spheres, political, economic, military, science and technology and culture.

"The two sides ... agreed to put into effect projects for the reconstruction of jointly-built enterprises, including in the power sector, on the basis of a settlement of the problem of existing financial obligations."

On global stability:

"In the new century, the Russian federation and North Korea will promote the formation of a new fair world order based on the primacy of law, principles of equal rights, mutual respect, mutually profitable cooperation in preserving global stability and ensuring the security of every member of the world community."

On the role of the United Nations:

"Both sides underlined the importance of a stronger role for the UN in world affairs and the necessity of preventing any attempts to contradict the UN and other principles and norms of international law."

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