KUALA LUMPUR, November 1. /TASS/. The cooperation between Russia and North Korea is not aimed at third countries and does not create issues of increasing the regional threat, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Oleg Savelyev said on Saturday.

"I would like to point out that this is how the mutual interaction is built, precisely excluding the notion of 'we are united against everyone against us'," Savelyev said at the 12th ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

"This cooperation is not directed against third countries," he continued. "Provided, of course, that these third countries do not resort to aggressive measures against Russia and North Korea."

"This is an absolutely transparent agreement, accessible to everyone, and it is a mutual commitment as well," he said, speaking about the comprehensive strategic partnership agreement between Russia and North Korea signed in 2024.

"Its full text can be found on the websites of the Russian Foreign Ministry or the Kremlin. And this agreement, I would like to emphasize once again, is not directed against third countries and does not create issues of increasing the regional threat," Savelyev added.

Russia and North Korea have had a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement in place since 2024, which includes mutual defense. North Korean servicemen, loyal to their duty as allies, took part in the liberation of parts of the Kursk Region from Ukrainian invaders.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Armed Forces’ General Staff Chief Army General Valery Gerasimov praised the courage and important role of the North Korean military in defending the region.

On October 23, a ceremony was held to mark the start of construction of a museum in honor of the KPA soldiers who participated in the Kursk Region operation. According to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the museum will symbolize the blood-sealed alliance between Russia and North Korea.

The North Korean leader noted that relations between the two countries grow stronger every day. "I convey words of support to the brotherly Russian people and army, and I warmly welcome our dear Russian friends who are present here," Kim Jong Un said to the Russian embassy staff who attended the ceremony. He also conveyed his greetings to those who participated in the operation to liberate the Kursk Region.