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Russia, North Korea may sign deal on preventing dangerous military activity in 2015

Russia expects in the near future to complete the effort on renewing an agreement with North Korea on mutual exchanges

MOSCOW, June 23. /TASS/. Russia believes it is possible to sign an agreement with North Korea by the year-end on preventing dangerous military activity, the speaker of Russia’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma, said on Tuesday.

At the meeting with the chairman of North Korea’s Supreme People’s Assembly, Choe Thae-bok, Sergey Naryshkin said Russia hopes to intensify the effort on improving and updating the legal basis of bilateral relations.

"We believe it is possible to sign by the end of the year two important documents: a treaty on mutual legal aid on criminal cases and an agreement on preventing dangerous military activity," he said.

Naryshkin praised the "high readiness" of these two documents, stressing that "they may be signed already by the end of the year."

Russia expects in the near future to complete the effort on renewing an agreement with North Korea on mutual exchanges. "This is also an important document that would contribute to a further increase in bilateral exchanges between the two countries," he said.

A draft agreement between Russia and North Korea on preventing dangerous military activity was approved by the Russian government in 2014. Under the document, the sides intend "to display high caution and prudence in the activities conducted near the territory or stationing of the armed forces of the state of the other side."

Each side shall take the necessary measures for "the prevention of entry of equipment and personnel into the territory of the other state due to force majeure circumstances or as a result of unintentional actions."

The sides also shall prevent "the use of laser radiation to the detriment of the other side, as well as the creation of obstacles to ensuring national security of the other state." "The sides shall take all the possible measures to promptly stop and settle by peaceful means any incidents that may happen due to dangerous military activities," says the draft agreement.

In order to fulfill the agreement, the sides plan to establish a special joint military commission, and its first meeting is due to be held no later than a year after the document enters into force.