AMBASSADOR OF RUSSIA

Seoul

Mr. LEE CHANG-SUP

Editor

The Korea Times

Dear Editor,

Being a regular reader of the Korea Times I could not have missed “Embassy Row” column of April 9^th with the interview of Ambassador Marek Calka of Poland.

As at least half of the above had direct reference to my country which is rather unusual, I think it would be proper to share with your readers my assessment of some of the remarks by the Polish Colleague.

First, I am grateful to Ambassador Calka for his clarification of the reasons of the US’ plan to install military facilities for its missile defense (MD) in Poland. We in Russia as well as our partners in the European Union were traditionally told that those facilities should protect Europe and the US from a missile attack by “rogue” states like Iran or North Korea. Now the curtain has been withdrawn, as Ambassador Calka explains that the real cause for the US MD in Poland is “several thousand Russian missiles’ which Poland allegedly faces. It is really a very new and utterly fresh presentation of the case. I would be happy to hear the reaction of the US and NATO sources to Ambassador Calka’s disclosures.

Second, I can’t accept the deliberations of the Polish Colleague on “some signals that the Russians may intend to touch upon the issue of nuclear umbrella over South Korea (at the six-party talks), which means they try to suggest that there should be trade off”. It is not important to my mind where Ambassador Calka got those signals from, as he may simply possess the qualities of a clairvoyant. What is essential, I think, is Ambassador Calka’s assertion that any “trade-off” at the six-Party talks would be a threat to South Korea. No international accord can be achieved without a compromise which is a sort of a “trade-off”. Taking that into account one can’t escape a thought that statements of the type Ambassador Calka made are especially detrimental in the situation when the Six Parties to the Beijing talks on the nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula (Poland is not among them), are exerting their best efforts to promote and enhance the positive outcome of the February round.

Yours sincerely,

Gleb A.Ivashentsov,

Ambassador of the Russian Federation

to the Republic of Korea

April 10^th, 2007