Russia, North Korea pledge to help each other in case of aggression against either country

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russia and North Korea, under the new agreement, agreed to help each other in the event of aggression against either country, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday.

Speaking at a news conference in Pyongyang following a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, which was live-streamed on the Kremlin website, Putin said security and international issues were significant topics of today's talks.

"The comprehensive partnership agreement signed today provides, among other things, for mutual assistance in the event of aggression against one of the parties to this agreement," Putin said.

The Russian president emphasized that the document also lays the groundwork for military cooperation between the two countries.

"The comprehensive partnership agreement signed today provides, among other things, for mutual assistance in the event of aggression against one of the parties to this agreement," he said.

Kim Jong-un, for his part, said the agreement is "peace-loving, defensive in nature," adding that it will accelerate the establishment of a multipolar world.

"This powerful treaty is nothing more than a document of a truly constructive, promising, exclusively peace-loving and defensive nature, designed to protect and defend the basic interests of the peoples of the two countries. I have no doubt that it (agreement) will become the driving force to accelerate the establishment of a new multipolar world," he stressed.

The North Korean leader also described the agreement as an important document that would lay the groundwork for future cooperation between the two countries, including in economics, politics, and military affairs.