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President Lee Myung-bak on Tuesday said the division of the Korean Peninsula is not only an obstacle to peace and stability in Northeast Asia but also "a hindrance to the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans, preventing Asia and Europe from becoming one." Lee made the remarks in a speech to students at St. Petersburg State University, where he was given an honorary doctorate.
"I hope one day young Russians can come to Korea on a train across Siberia to meet their Korean friends, and young Koreans can go to meet their Russian friends overland. And I hope that day will come soon," he said, stressing the importance of the Trans Siberia Railway and the Trans Korea Railway projects in improving inter-Korean relations.
Earlier, Lee told reporters if a Russian natural gas pipeline goes through North Korea, as he has agreed with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, "it will be very beneficial to the North Korean economy." He predicted Russia "will persuade the North."
"It will be Russia that makes the proposal to North Korea about the gas pipeline project, and when I get to meet Kim Jong-il, I will also tell him that it will be conducive to the country's economy," Lee said in an interview with the Russian press. The North is expected to get US$150 million a year in rent for the land.
"Given how tense inter-Korean relations are at the moment, it won't be easy to persuade the North within this year, but I will continue to try and convince North Korea along with Russia," he added.
Lee also said there were other "win-win" projects for the two Koreas and Russia such as connecting the two railways, developing the far east of Siberia and developing energy and natural resources.
Lee presented a vision of the two Koreas and Russia leading the "Iron Silk Road," "Energy Silk Road" and "Green Silk Road" projects.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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