Russia's Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, is scheduled to visit both South and North Korea in July.

The Russian Foreign Ministry expressed hope Friday that Lavrov's visits would facilitate the process of seeking a peaceful resolution to North Korea's nuclear standoff. The ministry also anticipates that Lavrov's trips will lead to active diplomatic efforts to establish peace in the Northeast Asian region.

Lavrov is reportedly arranging to make a two-day visit to Seoul from July 2nd before flying to Pyongyang on July 4th for a two-day trip.

Lavrov's consecutive visits to the two Koreas would be the first such trip by a ministerial-level Russian official.