Medvedev holds talks with N.Korea’s Kim Jong-il

[jakeXT]

Source: RIA Novosti



..

Talks also include a discussion of the North’s $11 billion debt to the former Soviet Union, Russian Deputy Finance Minister Sergey Storchak said.

“First of all they should recognize Russia as the Soviet Union’s successor,” Storchak said.

He added that the second stage of the talks would be about the means of payment, since the loan had been granted in rubles at an exchange rate of 60 kopeks to the dollar.

North Korea is also currently in negotiations with Russian gas giant Gazprom about a pipeline that would be laid through its territory to neighboring South Korea. Reports suggest such a deal could be worth around $100m a year for the North.

...

Read more: http://en.rian.ru/world/20110824/166106669.html

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I was thinking about posting a caption this in GD

[xchrom]

1. Why do I think this is more about the pipeline? Nt

[rayofreason]

2. Kim looks ronery!!! n/t

[izquierdista]

3. All that red, white, and blue behind them!

How patriotic!

[lindysalsagal]

4. It's almost sad that even Kim Jong-il can be bought with oil money.

I wonder if this means something has changed up in that alternate reality.

[pampango]

5. A pipeline through North Korea to provide gas to South Korea?

I can imagine that South Koreans could think such a pipeline might be subject to 'interruptions' whenever Kim felt like making a point. But then maybe Russia would get upset with Kim for interrupting the flow of South Korean money to Russia as payment for the gas, so maybe this will work out. ;)