MOSCOW, November 6. /TASS/. Russia’s Federation Council, or upper house of parliament, has unanimously approved a bill on the ratification of the treaty on comprehensive strategic partnership between Russia and North Korea.

The treaty was signed on June 19, 2024 during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Pyongyang. As follows prom its preamble, the treaty meets the fundamental interests of the peoples of Russia and North Korea and "makes a contribution to peace, regional and global security and stability." It provides that the sides on a permanent basis maintain and develop, taking into account their national legislation and their international obligations, relations of comprehensive strategic partnership, based on the principles of mutual respect for state sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-interference in internal affairs, equality and other principles of international law relating to friendly relations and cooperation between countries.

Article 4 of the treaty states that in the event of an imminent threat of an act of armed aggression against one of the sides, the sides shall, at the request of one of the sides, immediately activate bilateral channels for consultations with a view to coordinating their positions and agreeing on possible practical measures to assist each other to help eliminate the threat. In the event that one of the sides comes under an armed attack by any country or several countries and thus finds itself in a state of war, the other side will immediately provide military and other assistance by all means at its disposal in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter and in accordance with the laws of the Russian Federation and the DPRK.

Apart from that, each side commits itself not to sign with third states any agreements aimed against the sovereignty, security, territorial integrity, the right to free choice and development of political, social, economic, and cultural systems and other key interests of the other side, and not to engage in such acts.

Areas of cooperation

Under the treat, the sides agree to develop, on a stable and long-term basis, equitable and mutually beneficial cooperation in the areas of security, economy, trade, investments, science and technology, agriculture, education, healthcare, sport, culture, tourism, environment protection, emergencies response. The sides commit themselves to consolidate efforts toward forming a fair multipolar world order and creating mechanisms for conducting joint actions to strengthen the sides’ defense capacities. The sides also agree to take efforts to counter the use of unilateral restrictive measures, which they deem as illegitimate and running counter to the UN Charter and international law, and to refrain from jointing such sanctions.

Apart from that, the treaty highlights issues of cooperation in the area of international cybersecurity. The sides state that they stand for equal rights for all countries in administering the internet international information and telecommunications network and against the misuse of information and communications technologies. They undertake to strengthen coordination against disinformation and aggressive information campaigns.

The open-ended treaty will come into force after the sides exchange ratification documents. This treaty will supersede the treaty on friendship, good neighborly relations and cooperation between Russia and North Korea of February 9, 2000.