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Russian defense minister attends military parade in Pyongyang — KCNA

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspected the parade

TOKYO, July 28. /TASS/. A military parade to mark the 70th anniversary of North Korea’s victory in the 1950-1953 Fatherland Liberation War was held in Pyongyang early on Friday, the country’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspected the parade. A Russian delegation, led by Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu was among the event’s honorary guests.

A Chinese delegation, led by Li Hongzhong, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China (PRC), also attended the event.

Later in the day, Kim and Shoigu met to discuss strategic and tactical cooperation between Russia and North Korea, the Voice of Korea radio station reported. The meeting was held in the Korean leader’s office.

"A number of issues were discussed during the conversation, related to further development of strategic and tactical cooperation, as well as cooperation between the two states in the sphere of state defense and security," the radio reported.

Before the meeting, Shoigu handed over a present from Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Korean leader.

The Russian delegation has already left the North Korean capital. North Korean Defense Minister Kang Sun-nam came to the airport to see of the delegation. Ceremonial guards lined up on the way to the plane’s ramp. An orchestra played the Russian anthem.

The Russian defense ministry said earlier that the visit helped to strengthen bilateral military ties and will become a milestone in the development of cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang.

The Korean War started on June 25, 1950, and ended on July 27, 1953. The conflict also involved Chinese volunteers on Pyongyang’s side and US army under the UN flag on Seoul’s side. Pyongyang also received support from the USSR. The war ended in a ceasefire, but a peace treaty has not been signed to this day.