PYONGYANG, November 29. /TASS/. Russia and North Korea are close neighbors and longtime friends, Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov said on Friday.
The trust-based relations between the countries' leaders play a crucial role in fostering Russian-Korean cooperation, Belousov said during talks with North Korean Defense Minister No Kwang Chol in Pyongyang.
Belousov congratulated his counterpart on his appointment as head of the North Korean Defense Ministry in October 2024. "It is a pleasure to meet you and get to know you personally. I would like to thank you for the invitation to Pyongyang and your generous hospitality," Belousov said. "Russia and North Korea are good neighbors and longtime friends," he added.
The Russian defense minister noted that "the historic meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang in June 2024 showed the highest level of mutual trust," emphasizing that its outcome demonstrated "the countries' shared desire to further expand mutually beneficial cooperation amid a complex international situation."
"The most important outcome of the summit was the signing of a new fundamental interstate document - the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Russia and North Korea," the Russian defense minister stressed.