President Moon Jae-in stressed the importance of cooperation between South Korea and Russia, calling it the cornerstone of peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia.

The president made the remark on Thursday when he became the first South Korean president to ever address Russia's State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament.  

In the 20-minute speech before about 400 Russian lawmakers, Moon said that Russian President Vladimir Putin's "New East Policy" has a vision of an era of peace and co-prosperity among Eurasian nations, and South Koreans also hope for peace and co-prosperity in Northeast Asia. 

The president also stressed the importance of economic cooperation with Russia, saying that when a peace regime is established on the Korean Peninsula, economic cooperation between the two Koreas will begin in earnest and will be expanded to three-way cooperation with Russia. 

He said that trilateral cooperation on railways, energy and electricity between the two Koreas and Russia will pave the way for establishing an economic community in Northeast Asia. 

The president also expressed gratitude for Russia and its people's active support and cooperation in the process of bringing great change to inter-Korean relations, noting the two Koreas and the U.S. are ending the dark era of  confrontation and war and moving toward peace and cooperation.