NK-Russia, ``U.S. Army in Korea Must Withdraw``

North Korea`s Defense Commission Chairperson Kim Jong-Il and Russian President Vladimir Putin held an exclusive summit and expanded summit talk in the Kremlin, Moscow, Aug. 4. and adopted the `NK-Russia Moscow Declaration,` composed of 8 articles including the issues of the North Korean missiles, the economic cooperation between the two countries such as the railway connection, Inter-Korean dialogue, and the U.S. Army withdrawal.

The Two countries stated in the declaration that ``the North Korean missiles plan is for peace and will never be a threat to the nations that respect the autonomy of North Korea. The Anti-Ballistic Treaty between the U.S. and Russia in 1972 is the basic ground for the strategic security and the reduction of the strategic attack weapons.``

The agreement describes the clear opposition of the two countries to the U.S.`s move for the revision or abandonment of the ABM treaty in order to establish its MD system, using the threat from so-called `rogue states` such as North Korea as a pretext.

However, the North Korean side promised to withhold the missile-launching test until 2003.

Particularly, the North pointed out in the declaration that ``the withdrawal of the U.S. Army from the Korean peninsula is an urgent issue for peace and security in North-east Asia.`` And the Russian side expressed its understanding [of its significance], anticipating that the U.S. Army in Korea would be a stumbling block to the Inter-Korean dialogue and the NK-U.S. dialogue in the future.

For the Inter-Korean dialogue, Russia described its support for the continuing dialogue and the respect for the agreements reached by the two Koreas. The two countries also agreed to pay their best effort to create a railroad that connects both Koreas, Russia, and the European nations.

Meanwhile, according to the British Sunday Times, Russia decided to export short-range air defense system and the radars for spy planes to the North. Chairperson Kim Jong-Il wanted to import high-tech weapons such as tanks and MIG jet fighters but Russian President Putin agreed to provide only defensive weapons up to amount of 420 million dollars.

The newspaper also reported that Russia might promise to support the modernization of the North Korean army and the construction of nuclear redactors.

kimkihy@donga.com