Moscow has the right to conduct its own investigation into the recent sinking of a South Korean warship as Russia along with China plays a considerable role in the settlement of the situation on the Korean peninsula, the U.S. Department of State said.
President Dmitry Medvedev sent on Wednesday a group of Russian experts to South Korea to examine the results of a probe into the sinking of the South Korean vessel.
"Russia is, has been, a participant in the Six-Party process. They have a direct interest in... peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula. I think it's for them to make their own judgment as to the implications of the investigation. We've made our judgment. We are going to support South Korea and we would hope that China and Russia will do the same," Philip Crowley, the department's assistant secretary, told a daily press briefing in Washington.
South Korea's 1,200-ton Cheonan corvette sank near the disputed Northern Limit Line in the Yellow Sea on March 26 with the loss of 46 lives. After an investigation, Seoul accused North Korea of firing a torpedo from a submarine at the vessel.
"China, Russia, along with Japan, South Korea, and the United States, we are committed to a process that... we hope will send a clear message to the North Korean leadership and that they will choose a different path. Regrettably, they continue to choose the path of provocation... China and Russia clearly have to play a significant role in that response that sends a very clear and compelling message to North Korea," he added.
WASHINGTON, May 27 (RIA Novosti)
