A top U.S. official on North Korea will visit Russia next week to discuss ways to deal with the new North Korean leadership.
The State Department announced Friday that Special Representative for North Korea Policy Glyn Davies will travel to Russia Monday to "deepen cooperation and share perspectives on North Korea."
The statement says Davies plans to meet with senior Russian officials, including Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov and Ambassador-at-Large for Six-Party Talks Grigoriy Logvinov.
The talks are aimed at getting North Korea to dismantle its nuclear programs, in exchange for aid that has been stalled since 2008. South Korea, China, and Japan also participate in the negotiations.
Davies will be accompanied by Clifford Hart, special envoy for the six-party talks, for the trip that ends February 2.
Also next week, Kurt Campbell, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, will travel to South Korea, Vietnam and Cambodia. A separate statement says Campbell will visit South Korea on Tuesday and Wednesday to "discuss a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues, including recent developments in North Korea." He will also make stops in Vietnam and Cambodia before returning to Washington February 4.
North Korea's longtime leader Kim Jong Il died in December, leaving the country in the hands of his youngest son Kim Jong Un.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
