North Korean Leader Meets With Russian Military Delegation

The need for the military cooperation between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Russia for purposes of supporting mutual security was discussed

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un Vladimir Smirnov/POOL/TASS

SEOUL, July 19. /TASS/. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met with a Russian military delegation headed by Deputy Defense Minister Alexey Krivoruchko, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

According to the news agency, the need for military cooperation between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Russian Federation for the purposes of supporting mutual security interests was discussed at the meeting.

The KCNA noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin conveyed his warm greetings via the head of the delegation and "Kim Jong Un expressed deep thanks for it and asked him to convey his kindly greetings to the Russian President."

Kim underscored solidarity with Russia amid the special military operation in Ukraine and expressed support for the Russian Armed Forces "waging a sacred war of justice for defending the sovereign rights and security of their state."

The North Korean leader noted the importance of the previous meeting held in June and stressed the "need for the armies of the two countries, linked by long-standing historical tradition and militant ties, to get united more firmly to dynamically lead the DPRK-Russia relations in the new era and play an important part in defending regional and global peace and international justice."

Putin paid a state visit to Pyongyang on June 18-19. Putin’s talks with the North Korean leader yielded a treaty on comprehensive strategic partnership, an agreement on cooperation in the areas of medicine, medical education and science, as well as an agreement on the construction of a motor bridge across the Tuman River on the border between the two countries.