Vladivostok (Russia), July 23: In the event of a war in North Korea, Russia's far eastern regions could take in over 200,000 refugees from the country, the governor of the region that runs along the border said early today. "Primorye's potential allows us to take in up to 10 per cent of our population in refugees. Since our population is 2.1 million, that means we could welcome 210,000 refugees," Governor Sergei Darkin told reporters.
The vast Primorye region includes Russia's short border with North Korea, and a rail and highway link runs across the frontier, which is marked by the Tumannaya river. North Korea's longest land border is with neighbouring China.

Russia's largest pacific coast city, Vladivostok, is 130 kilometers from the Russian border.
Darkin said that the administration in the Russian region had taken to heart a request from the foreign ministry in Moscow to revise local civil defence facilities to deal with a possible conflict, although he did not give any details on the measures taken.
Russia, one of North Korea's few allies, has been seeking a role in talks between Pyongyang and Washington on the standoff over North Korea's nuclear ambitions.
It is among several countries pushing for new talks as a follow up to those held in Beijing in April and attended by China.
Bureau Report