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North Korea lauds ties with Russia for ‘reaching new strategic heights’

The foreign ministry emphasized that North Korea "stands in solidarity with the Russian leadership’s fair actions aimed at eliminating political and military threats and blackmail by hostile powers, and protecting the dignity, interests, peace and security of the country"

SEOUL, July 19. /TASS/. Relations between Pyongyang and Moscow are entering a golden age, the North Korean Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday, dedicated to the anniversary of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Pyongyang and the signing of a joint declaration.

"Today, North Korea-Russia relations are reaching new strategic heights, entering their heyday based on agreements that Leader Kim Jong-un and President Vladimir Putin reached at their historic meeting in Vladivostok in April 2019," the statement reads.

"Strategic and operational cooperation between the two countries is only growing in terms of zero tolerance to the arbitrariness, high-handedness and hegemonic actions of the United States and its satellites, as well as the determination to strongly resist external aggression and threats, while defending security, sovereignty and [national] interests," the North Korean Foreign Ministry added.

The ministry also emphasized that North Korea "stands in solidarity with the Russian leadership’s fair actions aimed at eliminating political and military threats and blackmail by hostile powers, and protecting the dignity, interests, peace and security of the country."

According to the statement, North Korea and Russia maintain cooperation on the international stage based on the principle of mutual respect, they are united in rejecting double standards in global politics. North Korean diplomats pointed out that the people of North Korea and Russia continued making efforts to build a fair world order and ensure peace.

On July 19, 2000, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held talks in Pyongyang on July 19, 2000, which resulted in the signing of a joint Russian-North Korean declaration. According to North Korean diplomats, the document was an important milestone in bilateral relations.

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