Seoul: North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui has conducted a strategic dialogue with her Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, in Moscow, agreeing to expedite cooperation between the two nations, as reported by Pyongyang's state media on Tuesday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) issued a joint statement regarding what it described as "the third strategic dialogue" between the two leading diplomats, which took place the day before. The discussions focused on the execution of the treaty on comprehensive strategic partnership between the countries, high-level visits, plans for multi-faceted cooperation, and diplomatic coordination on major international issues of mutual concern. The statement noted that both parties "reached a consensus on all the issues brought up for discussion."
The two nations reaffirmed their commitment to hasten "the long-term multi-faceted development of bilateral relations, irrespective of the changing situation, under the strategic guidance at the highest level." The deepening ties between Pyongyang and Moscow have been evident since North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the "comprehensive strategic partnership" treaty in June 2024.
The statement characterized the meeting as "a significant occasion for further accelerating the comprehensive expansion and development of the bilateral relations and making positive contributions to ensuring regional and global peace and security in conformity with the spirit of the treaty on comprehensive strategic partnership." Russia expressed "full support" for North Korea's efforts to defend its sovereignty against perceived "hostile" threats, while North Korea conveyed "invariable support for all the internal and external policies of the Russian Federation" concerning the Ukrainian dispute and defending sovereignty, territorial integrity, and international justice.
Choe's visit to Moscow began on Friday at Lavrov's invitation and included a meeting with President Putin in the Kremlin on Sunday, according to another KCNA dispatch on Tuesday. The report highlighted that the meeting reaffirmed the intention to strengthen the alliance in the spirit of the comprehensive strategic partnership treaty and noted beneficial talks on expanding bilateral exchange and cooperation in various fields.
With no major anniversaries or diplomatic milestones scheduled between the two countries, there is speculation that Choe's visit to Moscow might be aimed at coordinating a potential visit by Kim to Russia. Putin extended an invitation for Kim to visit Moscow for summit talks during their meeting in June 2024.