Russian Defense Ministry ready to flesh out areas of possible cooperation with N.Korea

PYONGYANG, July 3. /TASS/. The Russian Defense Ministry confirms its readiness to cooperate with the armed forces of North Korea and is ready to flesh out areas of possible cooperation, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Col. Gen. Alexander Fomin said on Wednesday during his visit to the country. "The main goal is to make the areas of possible practical Russian-North Korean cooperation in the defense sphere more specific. We confirm our determination for further development of mutually beneficial cooperation," Fomin said at a meeting with North Korean Vice Minister of the People’s Armed Forces Kim Hyong-ryong. The Russian deputy minister said talks in this format help to improve coordination of joint steps regarding mutually beneficial issues. During the meeting, he informed the North Korean side about the Russian operation against international terrorism in Syria and its humanitarian aspects. According to Fomin, military cooperation between Russia and North Korea intensified as of lately, particularly after the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Vladivostok on April 25, 2019. "Top-level contacts give an additional impetus to the development of bilateral relations in various spheres, including military cooperation. We note that the inter-departmental cooperation intensified as of lately, including at the senior level," Fomin said. The Russian official also mentioned the participation of North Korean Minister of the People’s Armed Forces No Kwang-chol in the eigth Moscow Conference on International Security and his meeting with Russian Defense Minister Army Gen. Sergei Shoigu on April 24 on the sidelines of the forum. Fomin told Kim Hyong-ryong that Russia appreciates the friendship and neighborliness with North Korea, adding that the two states marked the 70th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations in 2018. He thanked Kim Hyong-ryong and the military and political leadership of the country for an invitation to visit Pyongyang. Read more