Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov shows the way to Choe Ryong Hae, a close aide of North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un, during a meeting in Moscow on Nov. 20, 2014

Following a meeting with Choe Ryong Hae, a special envoy for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Lavrov told reporters he received assurances that North Korea is ready to restart six-party talks, without preconditions based on the joint statement adopted by participants in September 2005 negotiations. Lavrov said Choe sent Russian President Vladimir Putin a letter from Kim that confirmed a desire to expand bilateral ties and cooperate with Russia in settling the problems remained on the Korean Peninsula.

Lavrov noted that trade and economic relations between Moscow and Pyongyang are reaching a new height, adding the two countries would further interact in the future and confirmed Russia’s readiness to carry out contacts at all levels, including a summit level, within the time-frame agreed by both.