North Korean, Russian foreign ministers hail ties at Moscow talks

The Russian and North Korean foreign ministers on Tuesday hailed deepening ties between their authoritarian countries, which are accused by the West of working together to aid Moscow’s military intervention in Ukraine.

Ministers Sergei Lavrov and Choe Son Hui made the comments during talks in Moscow that come on the back of a high-profile visit from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un last year.

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“We always support North Korea at the United Nations and very much appreciate your similar stance in support for Russia’s position, including on matters related to our special military operation in Ukraine,” Lavrov said in his opening remarks.

Choe said through a translator that the meeting was evidence that “friendly” bilateral ties were “developing in accordance with the plans of the two countries’ leaders”.

The United States said this month that Russia — short of weapons nearly two years into the conflict — had attacked Ukraine with missiles from North Korea.

Pyongyang is under a slew of international sanctions for its atomic bomb and ballistic missile programmes, which have seen rapid progress under Kim.

Ukraine’s allies have also accused North Korean of supplying Russian forces with large stockpiles of artillery shells.

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Lavrov said the purpose of the meeting was to take stock of agreements clinched during the summit in Russia between Kim and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, without giving details.

The Kremlin said the ministers would later meet Putin to brief the Russian leader on the results of their discussions.

Putin has accepted an invitation to visit North Korea but has not said when he will go.

© Agence France-Presse