Putin says Russia, North Korea have opportunities for military cooperation

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday said Russia and North Korea have opportunities to develop military cooperation, despite UN sanctions.

Speaking to the state-run Rossiya-1 TV channel, Putin said Moscow complies with UN sanctions on military-technical cooperation with Pyongyang "but there are opportunities within the rules."

"There are certain restrictions. Russia complies with all these restrictions. But there are things that we can talk about. And here, too, there are prospects. Under the current rules, we also have opportunities, which we see and discuss," he said, commenting on the outcome of his talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who arrived in Russia on a two-day visit on Tuesday aboard his special armored train.

Putin said his meeting with Kim was "productive," describing it as "a frank exchange of views" on the situation in the region and bilateral relations.

The president said Kim will also have a meeting on military issues, visit the Far Eastern Federal University, as well as Russian Academy of Sciences in the city of Vladivostok.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in a separate statement, said Russia has not imposed any sanctions on North Korea.

Lavrov said he does not pay attention to reports claiming Pyongyang is supplying weapons and military equipment to Moscow. He added that the West, by delivering to Ukraine Soviet and Russian weapons, was violating contract obligations, which mandate taking the seller's consent before any transaction.