MOSCOW, October 11. /TASS/. Moscow highly appreciates Pyongyang's support for its special military operation in Ukraine and the accession of four territories into Russia, head of the First Asian Department at the Russian Foreign Ministry Georgy Zinoviev said on Tuesday.
"We highly appreciate the firm support the North Korean government has given and is giving to the Russian special military operation in Ukraine," the diplomat said at an event marking the 74th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Moscow and Pyongyang. He stressed that Pyongyang welcomed the accession of the Donetsk and the Lugansk People’s Republics, as well as of the Zaporozhye and Kherson Regions to Russia.
"We confirm our interest in further expanding cooperation between our countries to ensure peace and security on the Korean Peninsula. I am convinced that the successful implementation of our common plans will bring real benefits to the peoples of Russia and North Korea. It will be an important factor in maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the Northeast Asia region, and will enable us to successfully confront challenges and threats from forces seeking undivided domination in the international arena," Zinoviev pointed out. He also stressed that cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang would make it possible to overcome the consequences of the pandemic, which still has a restraining effect on bilateral ties.
"Today our countries, as in previous years, find themselves shoulder to shoulder in the forefront of the struggle against the hegemonic aspirations of the West led by the US. The Russian and Korean peoples rely in this struggle on the strong traditions of friendship, good-neighborliness and cooperation between our countries," the diplomat concluded.