Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to visit Seoul
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will visit Seoul today to meet with his South Korean counterpart Chung Eui-yong.
The ministers are set to attend a ceremony celebrating the 30-year anniversary of Russian-South Korean relations. The ceremony, which was originally scheduled for September of last year, was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the two-day visit, Lavrov and Chung will discuss possible steps to improve bilateral ties as well as key developments on the Korean Peninsula. Recently, Moscow assisted with Seoul’s space program by delivering South Korea’s CAS500-1 satellite into space via a Russian carrier rocket.
Expect diplomatic relations between Seoul and Moscow to improve in the short- to medium-term, likely enhanced by mutual commercial interests. South Korea, which desires a total denuclearisation of North Korea, will seek warmer ties with Russia. Although Seoul is determined to strengthen its partnership with the US, it will also count on Russian influence to navigate volatile North-South relations within the framework of President Moon Jae-in’s New Northern Policy. Likewise, its cooperation with Russia serves as a balance against Beijing’s support for Pyongyang.
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