Putin armoured vehicle
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Moscow and Pyongyang will sign an agreement to strengthen bilateral ties and praised North Korea for supporting the Kremlin’s policy in Ukraine.
Speaking at the start of talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Wednesday, the Russian leader said the “new basic document will form the basis of our relations for a long time to come”.
In remarks quoted by the official Russian news agencies Tass and RIA Novosti, Putin praised the two countries “close friendship” based on “equality and respect for each other’s interests”.
He also mentioned their ‘struggle against the imperialist hegemonist policy of the USA and its satellites against the Russian Federation’.
For his part, Kim said that North Korea’s relations with Russia had reached a new high.
“Relations between our countries are entering a new era of prosperity that cannot even be compared with the period of Korean-Soviet relations in the last century,” Kim said.
Russian news agencies quoted him as saying he expected Putin’s visit to “strengthen” the friendship between the two countries.
The Russian leader arrived in North Korea early on Wednesday, according to Russian news media. Military, economic, and other exchanges between North Korea and Russia have expanded dramatically since Kim visited Russia’s Far East in September for their first summit in 2019.
North Korea has been subjected to severe economic sanctions by the UN Security Council for its nuclear weapons and missile programmes, while Russia is also facing sanctions from the US and its Western allies for its aggression in Ukraine.
Putin said on Wednesday that the two countries would work closely together to overcome the US-led sanctions amid growing tensions with Washington.
Putin also said in his published remarks that Russia and North Korea would create trade and financial channels “not controlled by the West”.
Also Read: Kim Jong Un’s Message to Putin After Russia Visit
