13/7/2025–|Last update: 03:58 (Mecca time)
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un confirmed on Saturday his “full support” to Moscow in its war on Ukraine, while receiving Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Lavrov’s visit to North Korea is the latest in a series of high -level visits to Russian officials, as part of the two countries seeking to deepen military and political relations in light of the Russian attack on Ukraine.
Moscow and Pyongyang have strengthened their military cooperation in recent years, North Korea has sent thousands of soldiers to participate in the defeat of Kiev’s forces from the Russian Kursk region, and the Russian army also extended weapons that included artillery and missile shells.
The North Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim and Lavrov met Saturday in a “atmosphere full of comrades”.
The Russian Foreign Ministry released a video clip showing Lavrov and Kim as they were shaking hands, and said that the talks were held in the city of Wensan on the eastern coast of North Korea, where a huge resort was opened recently.
Kim told his guest that his country is “ready to support and encourage all the measures of Russian leadership without conditions in relation to addressing the root cause of the Ukrainian crisis,” according to the North Korean News Agency.
The North Korean leader also expressed “his firm belief that the Russian army and people will be triumphed in the holy issue of defending the country’s dignity and its basic interests.”
The agency added that the two men discussed “important issues to implement the agreements reached in the historic summit talks between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Russia in June 2024.”
She noted that Moscow and Pyongyang pledged “to cooperate to protect the integrity of the lands of each.”
Strategic partnership
The Russian Foreign Minister also affirmed that Russia and North Korea are committed to the strategic partnership treaty and will strictly adhere to it.
“Both Russia and North Korea are strictly committed to their pledges under the comprehensive strategic partnership treaty, and we will continue to adhere to this,” he said, according to the Russian news agency TASS.
Lavrov also stressed that Russian President Vladimir Putin hopes to “continue direct contacts” with Kim Jong Un “as soon as possible.”
According to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two sides affirmed “their intention to jointly control the aspirations of hegemony of parties outside the region, which leads to an escalation of tensions in northeastern Asia, Asia and the entire Pacific.”
Russian and North Korean media said that Lavrov will remain in North Korea until Sunday.
It is noteworthy that Russia and North Korea – the two states subject to severe sanctions – signed last year a military cooperation agreement that includes a clause on mutual defense, during a rare visit by President Putin to North Korea.
(Tagstotranslate) Ukraine News (T) Russia (T) North Korea