Russian lawmakers and scholars are calling for enhanced ties with North Korea.

In a public hearing organized by an international affairs committee of Russia’s Federation Council Tuesday, lawmaker Vitaly Malkin said Russia should pay attention to the potential the North’s nuclear and missile development programs and labor force have to offer.

Georgy Toloraya, research director of the Center for Contemporary Korean Studies in Moscow, suggested Russian President Dmitry Medvedev visit North Korea this year to explore the possibilities.

Participants of the hearing stressed that Moscow needed to enhance its relations with Pyongyang like it did during the Soviet era, exploiting the current lack of diplomatic ties between Washington and Pyongyang.

The participants were especially wary of China’s growing influence on the North.