Regarding North Korea and Russia strengthening cooperation by holding a foreign ministers’ meeting on the 19th following the summit last month, the government reaffirmed its position that “cooperation between North Korea and Russia should not violate international norms such as UN Security Council resolutions.”
Deputy Spokesperson of the Ministry of Unification Kim In-ae said at a regular briefing on the 20th, “We will take decisive action in cooperation with the international community, including the United States and Japan, regarding illegal cooperation such as arms trading and transfer of military technology.”
He said, “I hope that North Korea chooses the right path and cooperation progresses in a direction that can substantially improve the livelihood of North Korean people,” and added, “The government will actively cooperate with the international community to help move in that direction.”
Regarding the agenda for the North Korea-Russia foreign ministers’ meeting, he said, “It is difficult to predict the specific content of the discussion at this time,” but added, “Collaboration measures in areas such as politics, economy, culture, science and technology, and the international situation and exchanges will likely have been discussed.” analyzed.
He continued, “In the field of politics, (Russia) expressed gratitude for North Korea’s support and support regarding the Ukraine war, and (both countries) expressed their will to strengthen anti-American solidarity. “It is presumed that discussions on cooperation measures have taken place in the larger framework regarding economic, cultural, and technological cooperation,” he said, adding, “Specific discussions will take place at the North Korea-Russia Intergovernmental Committee in November.”
He also speculated, “Regarding the international situation, the results of the recent China-Russia summit would have been shared and joint responses to the international situation, such as the war in the Middle East and Ukraine, would have been discussed.” Regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to North Korea, which was agreed upon at the last North Korea-Russia summit, Deputy Spokesperson Kim said, “We need to pay close attention to the specific timing of the visit to North Korea.”
Regarding Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s statement at a press conference in Pyongyang that he was in favor of establishing a regular negotiation process on security issues on the Korean Peninsula without preconditions, he said, “The government made the announcement at the Korea-U.S.-Japan summit. “We are maintaining our stance of resuming dialogue without preconditions with North Korea,” he said.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.